Today, I planned to watch the Fourth of July fireworks near the Brooklyn Bridge. Rolling out of bed around 2 p.m., the aftermath of last night hit me—it had been wild, far beyond what I’d anticipated from the meeting. The first five minutes still stood out: the moment I nearly walked away but decided to stay. Fast forward to 6 a.m., and I was finally back at the hostel, exhausted but thrilled.
A Well Deserved Bath
With Drew gone, I had the entire dorm to myself for the day. Taking full advantage of the solitude, I filled the tub using my trusty bath plug (a sneaky workaround since the hostel didn’t technically allow baths). Relaxing in the warm water, I took my time and sketched out a plan for the evening. I shot Steve a message to see what he was up to—he mentioned watching the German World Cup game with a friend downtown. He wasn’t sure about plans afterward but said he might join me later.
In the afternoon, I walked to the subway station about eight blocks from the hostel, deciding to watch the fireworks on my own later that evening. My original plan had been to leave around 4 p.m. to secure a prime viewing spot, but with no one else around at the hostel, there wasn’t much point in heading out so early. Being alone didn’t bother me—I was used to it—but it made the view and experience feel slightly less significant (though I still determined to capture some great fireworks photos). Ultimately, I left the hostel around 7:30 p.m., with the show set to start at 9:25 p.m.
Where Two Boroughs Meet
I chose to stay near the Brooklyn Bridge, knowing the fireworks would be launched over the river. My goal was to capture a shot of Manhattan with fireworks lighting up the sky. While my spot wasn’t ideal, it certainly could have been worse.
Around 9 PM, I reached my chosen spot. I exited the subway near the Manhattan Bridge—though I can’t recall the exact station—and made my way toward the bridge. I had hoped to secure a prime viewing area for the fireworks, but it was fenced off due to ongoing construction. With no other options, I decided to follow the crowd, eventually finding myself right next to the Brooklyn Bridge. From there, my view of Manhattan’s skyline was partially obstructed, but I hoped it would still capture the magic of the evening.
Macy’s Fireworks Show
The crowd around me was a diverse mix of people, with a noticeable number of South Americans dressed in bright yellow football jerseys. Most appeared to be Colombian, likely celebrating their team’s World Cup match earlier in the day.
When Macy’s Fireworks Show began, I couldn’t help feeling a bit disappointed—they were much farther away than I had anticipated. With crowds packed into every corner, this was the best spot I could manage. Despite that, I decided to make the most of it and enjoy the moment. Most of my photos didn’t turn out well—my camera isn’t great at night photography—but that’s life. At least I managed to capture some incredible videos!
More Fireworks
The fireworks went on for quite a while, lighting up the sky in an incredible display. Occasionally, fireworks launched from the top of the Brooklyn Bridge added a dramatic touch. Although not as frequently as I’d hoped—only about four or five times. I had imagined the bridge being illuminated throughout, but even without that, the Macy’s Fireworks Show was absolutely spectacular. It was easily one of the best displays I’d ever seen, lasting an impressive 30 minutes!
Throughout the show I made some pictures (pictures below) with my phone (samsung galaxy s2), I hoped it would take better pictures, but the quality was more or less the same. I was satisfied though: I had amazing footage of the show. This was why I had planned my trip of New York at the end of the journey, because of this amazing fireworks show for the 4th of July.
After the show at the Brooklyn Bridge ended around 10 pm, it was time to head back to the hostel. I knew it would be chaotic, much like it had been in Singapore. Sure enough, once I reached the subway, it was packed.
A Detour Back to the Hostel
After waiting for 15 minutes near the Brooklyn Bridge and realizing the crowd wasn’t budging, I decided to walk to the nearby subway station instead. This one would take me through Brooklyn and towards Queens. I had a subway map, but no internet or navigation. This was quite frustrating since I had no idea how to get there. I asked for directions at a corner store and bought a drink while I was there. Unfortunately, their directions didn’t help, and after a while, I found myself in downtown Brooklyn. There, I asked a security guard for the nearest station.
His directions worked. It was around midnight when I finally headed back towards Manhattan. The stations were still crowded, but less so than earlier. I had taken quite a detour, but it was fine in the end. I definitely should’ve gotten a SIM card.
Night Work
Around 1 am, I finally returned to the hostel. I got some more work done on my articles. It was great having the place to myself—it made it so much easier to focus without worrying about the noise from my earphones.
Naturally, they decided to place a traveler in my dorm around 3 am. So, I had to work with the lights off (not that it made much difference, but I like to complain). By 4 am, I decided it was time to sleep. Tomorrow, I’d check out the Dutch match at a cool bar in Manhattan.
