Independence Day in the Big Apple

July 4th is the big holiday in the US where they celebrate their independence from England. Of course I was quite looking forward to the spectacle fort several reasons. First off, I am always one for a party. Second off, the fireworks in NYC are supposed to be amazing. Third off, I get to watch them from the rooftop of the building I live in where normally no one is allowed up. So how did it turn out to be? Quite disastrous! The fireworks are shot off from 3 barges on the east river. Unfortunately, this year they moved down 12 blocks so the normally perfect view of the colorful explosions was obstructed by a big building. What a bummer. So no pics of that since there was nothing to photograph. But being up on the roof wasn't all that bad. I was able to take some nighttime pics from the surrounding buildings including the Empire State and also the Chrysler building. And I do have to say, considering it was raining and I don't have a tripod and these are 30 second exposures, the pics turned out quite alright. Take a look:



I know there are only minor variations in these pics but there really were no other good motifs. Still think they turned out alright especially with the reflection of the buildings in the watery ledge.

So because we didn't really see the fireworks due to the obstructed view, we went downstairs and watched it on TV. Yeah, I know that's lame. But the good part is after the fireworks were over, we watched some Robot Chicken (one of the funniest shows ever) and then the end of Empire Strikes Back. Seriously, the old Star Wars are so much better than the new ones, it dazzles my mind every time I see them.