We were thinking of taking the kids (4 and 10) into the city on Wednesday to see the parade balloons get inflated. Anyone here ever been? I’m curious if it’s worth it—is it too crowded to see, etc? Can you get close enough to see the balloons? I’m curious what your experience has been, since we’ve never done it before.
I live just a few blocks from where they inflate the balloons (around the American Museum of Natural History), and I went a few years ago.
It’s a zoo! The whole Upper West Side gets incredibly crowded, so it will be difficult to drive in and park, though public transit should be fine (the B/C train to 81st will deposit you right in the thick of things or the 1 train to 79th will bring you a couple of blocks away).
With the number and crush of people, they’re forced route you through slow-moving walkways behind barriers to see the balloons being inflated. You’re not right on top of the action, but you can see some of what’s going on. What is going on is sort of limited to a short stroll along the few blocks where they’re doing the inflation.
All in all it’s sort of cool to drop by, but it may be a bit of a disappointment if the kids are expecting something over the top. If they’re good with crowds, it might be worthwhile, but if not forget it.
Never understeatimate the ower of exitatnialtism of balooon s inflaiging??
wow…i don’t know what tahat says…I’m soprrry. I’ll go.
thanks–we’re still mulling this over. In principle it sounds like it would be a cool thing to see, but I don’t want to get them excited and have them be let down.
Dude, quit inhaling the helium. It fucks up your brain.
Deflated, as it were.
deflaiginated?
We went about 10 years ago before the kids were born. They’re 5 & 7 now and we’re thinking of doing it with them this year, weighing the crowds, limited view and late hour against the cool factor.
We tried last year - popped up out of the subway to a massive crowd. Realized we were faced with about a 10 block line that didn’t seem to be moving. Even worse was that when the line went across a street, the line had to leave the street (more-or-less) open, so new arrivals were just jumping into the end of the line at the crosswalk, leading to harsh words from those still in line on the other side of the street. Granted, we got there too late (around 7), but it wasn’t going to be fun. We bailed.
I did once as a child and it wasn’t that great. The lines were huge and I couldn’t see anything unless my dad put me on his shoulders. I mostly remember a sea of legs and getting crushed in the crowd.
Back in 95 I went, by accident. I had got off work from the theatre on 86th and B’way. This was before it was ‘in’ to do this. There were maybe a dozen or so spectators.
So it may be easier to build a time machine and go back 15 years and see it then.