We had the day off for Independence Day. Our only real plan was to watch the Macy's Fireworks over the Hudson River, but we didn't really know how to go about doing that. The Macy's website listed where the barges would be and where to view from, but we didn't know how early it was necessary to be there to reserve spots. We also didn't know if we'd be allowed to bring coolers, chairs, and the like for holding spots after reading mixed reviews online. I decided it was worth it to try to bring my travel tripod.
We got off the subway at 34th Street, and after talking to our friends who were ahead of us getting there, we knew that we needed to start moving south. We ended up finding a location at 30th and 10th, right by the High Line. Because of the construction, it wasn't the prettiest view.
I think by the time we finally got settled, it was 7:50 PM. We thought fireworks started at 8:30 PM, but they ended up starting at 9.