# NYC during the Fourth of July... **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 23, 2009, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-during-the-fourth-of-july/500777 "2009-06-23T22:45:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2009, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-during-the-fourth-of-july/500777/1 "2009-06-23T22:45:08Z")
I’ll be in NYC (Queens) during the Fourth of July weekend, from Thursday until Sunday morning. I wanted to ask NYC dopers for any advice they could give me. This would be my… sixth or seventh trip to the city. Museums I like, checked. Zoos, checked plus I worked in one. Walking through Central Park and Bryant Park, checked. Last time I went there, someone gave me a link to NYC museums, which I’ve bookmarked. I may try to see one or two of the museums I haven’t seen in that list, that may be open Friday the third. I think what I haven’t done is walked the Brooklyn bridge… I don’t have any plans, and I may most likely be by myself (as my host will be sleeping in/working). The other plans I have include trying to meet up with old classmates (including my first kiss!)… I’ve read that there will be some festivals during that time around the city… Any advice on them? What should I avoid, what should I try to see? Expensive bars, shows, restaurants are out. Thank you for your help! ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-during-the-fourth-of-july/500777/2 "2009-06-24T00:58:58Z")
-Union Square Farmer’s Market, Saturday mornings. Every kind of pretty, delicious thing! -Cathedral of St. John the Divine - frequent free performances in the summer, check their schedule - or just go take a look at the largest Gothic Cathedral in the world, still very much a work in progress. There’s a ?Czech? bakery almost right across the street too. -The Strand used book store, Broadway ~12th street. -The Brooklyn Promenade at sunset with a stop at Junior’s cheesecake -Have you checked out the Panorama of New York - a complete scale model of the city, it’s at the little museum, in Flushing Meadows Park, that the Unispehere is in front of. -Dim sum in Flushing!!! um, ok, why do all my suggestions somehow involve food? _blush_ ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-during-the-fourth-of-july/500777/3 "2009-06-24T01:06:16Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > -Union Square Farmer’s Market, Saturday mornings. Every kind of pretty, delicious thing! > -Cathedral of St. John the Divine - frequent free performances in the summer, check their schedule - or just go take a look at the largest Gothic Cathedral in the world, still very much a work in progress. There’s a ?Czech? bakery almost right across the street too. > -The Strand used book store, Broadway ~12th street. > -The Brooklyn Promenade at sunset with a stop at Junior’s cheesecake > -Have you checked out the Panorama of New York - a complete scale model of the city, it’s at the little museum, in Flushing Meadows Park, that the Unispehere is in front of. > -Dim sum in Flushing!!! > > um, ok, why do all my suggestions somehow involve food? _blush_ LOL! That would be OK by me… I may ask my classmates (or gracious host) for eating suggestions, too. I _think_ last time I went to NYC I made it to the cathedral… I’m not sure which cathedral it was, only that it was Catholic… My friend, who took me there (and is an atheist), walked all through the church, saw all the statues, liked the building and decorations, and just towards the end asked me “Is this a Catholic church?”… :smack: I think his knowledge of saints may be lacking a bit… ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-during-the-fourth-of-july/500777/4 "2009-06-24T01:26:01Z")
> [@KarlGrenze](#): > > LOL! That would be OK by me… I may ask my classmates (or gracious host) for eating suggestions, too. > > I _think_ last time I went to NYC I made it to the cathedral… I’m not sure which cathedral it was, only that it was Catholic… My friend, who took me there (and is an atheist), walked all through the church, saw all the statues, liked the building and decorations, and just towards the end asked me “Is this a Catholic church?”… :smack: I think his knowledge of saints may be lacking a bit… If it was sort of “right in” midtown Manhattan, and was a Catholic church, it was probably St. Patrick’s Cathedral. St. John the Divine is stupendously gigantic and not nearly finished and on 110th street, not far from Columbia University or the northernmost part of Central Park, and its an Episcopalian church. -Governor’s Island is pretty cool - although they don’t look to have any special programs for July 4th. > **[Governors Island (en-US)](https://www.govisland.com/)** > > Governors Island is a 172-acre island in Upper New York Bay, approximately 800 yards from the southern tip of Manhattan. -Shakespeare in the Park is Twelfth Night this year [http://www.publictheater.org/content/view/128/223/](http://www.publictheater.org/content/view/128/223/) (No performance July 4) ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-during-the-fourth-of-july/500777/5 "2009-06-24T02:21:04Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > If it was sort of “right in” midtown Manhattan, and was a Catholic church, it was probably St. Patrick’s Cathedral. St. John the Divine is stupendously gigantic and not nearly finished and on 110th street, not far from Columbia University or the northernmost part of Central Park, and its an Episcopalian church. > -Shakespeare in the Park is Twelfth Night this year > [http://www.publictheater.org/content/view/128/223/](http://www.publictheater.org/content/view/128/223/) > (No performance July 4) Thanks for the first part… Then yea, it was St. Patrick’s. 🙂 Hmm… No performances on the fourth, but maybe Friday? My host will be working Friday night, so I’ll have to figure out what to do without him. 🙂 Now if I can cajole someone into accompanying me to see that… Too bad the above mentioned friend is out, I’m sure he’d be OK with it. ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-during-the-fourth-of-july/500777/6 "2009-06-24T04:23:13Z")
Nathan’s hot dog eating contest! ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2009, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-during-the-fourth-of-july/500777/7 "2009-06-25T11:51:16Z")
To watch or to participate? ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2009, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-during-the-fourth-of-july/500777/8 "2009-07-02T12:39:27Z")
One last bump… And one more question, regarding the Brooklyn bridge… Any good websites with information about how to get there (walking/subway), particulary if one is in Queens? And information of places to visit around the bridge (on both sides)? Well… one more question (repeated from the OP)… Any other good festivals going on the Fourth around the city? ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2009, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-during-the-fourth-of-july/500777/9 "2009-07-02T13:25:08Z")
You probably know this already, but the fireworks are going to be from the Hudson this year (barges betw 24th and 50th), not the East river, like in years past. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2009, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-during-the-fourth-of-july/500777/10 "2009-07-02T14:49:39Z")
Yea, I know. My sister has an apartment with a view of the Hudson, so we will be watching the fireworks there. 😉 But I’m going to be in the city for a bit longer than that, and want other things to do. ---
**Author:** ![Baby\_Driver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@Baby\_Driver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baby_Driver)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2009, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-during-the-fourth-of-july/500777/11 "2009-07-02T15:45:12Z")
I’m not a native New Yorker, but if you’ve got a Bank of America card (credit or debit), there are several fine museums you can get in for free the first weekend of the month - which outta include the 4th of July weekend. [http://museums.bankofamerica.com/](http://museums.bankofamerica.com/) They list five in NYC: 1. The Met 2. Bronx Zoo 3. NY Aquarium 4. Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum 5. Whitney Museum of American Art I went up last month and got into the Met for free - just show them your card and they give you a visitor tag. Saved me $10 (the cost of a student entrance - I think it’s $20 for adults). I know you said you’ve seen museums already, but if you’ve got a couple hours to burn & they’re free… ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2009, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-during-the-fourth-of-july/500777/12 "2009-07-02T16:02:07Z")
> [@KarlGrenze](#): > > One last bump… And one more question, regarding the Brooklyn bridge… Any good websites with information about how to get there (walking/subway), particulary if one is in Queens? And information of places to visit around the bridge (on both sides)? > > Well… one more question (repeated from the OP)… Any other good festivals going on the Fourth around the city? [MTA website.](http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us/) If you dig architecture, there is a Frank Lloyd Wright exhibit at the Guggenheim.