This story was updated on July 2 to reflect a comment by City Hall that the Promenade would be restricted to city employees during the July 4 fireworks display.
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — The 4th of July has been canceled for Brooklyn Heights.
The city will be enacting the same restrictions similar to those put in place for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, according to City Hall spokesperson Kayla Mamelak Altus.
The neighborhood will be transformed, with closed streets, checkpoints and residents required to carry an ID to enter their own homes if they fall into a restricted area.
UPDATE: The map previously shared by the city shows most neighborhood streets restricted to pedestrians with IDs. The latest word is most Heights streets will require ID only from Hicks Street west to the Promenade, though, other sources said the restriction on pedestrians will begin at Henry Street on Montague. Vehicles will still not be allowed on any of the restricted blocks.
Families are canceling parties, and business owners are pulling their hair out after ordering extra supplies and booking additional employees to handle the usual expected crowds on one of the biggest revenue days for many.
The Brooklyn Heights Promenade, one of the best fireworks viewing spots in Brooklyn, will be reserved for city employees only, Mamelak said.
The city previously issued 100,000 tickets in a lottery for viewing in Brooklyn Bridge Park, which is currently sold out.
Mamelak disputed the report that the Promenade would be reserved for top brass in the Adams administration. “Not true!” she said. “I don’t even know if Mayor Adams will be attending the fireworks. It’s a VIP section for 4,000 city employees,” similar to the VIP section set aside at the Thanksgiving parade.
More information will be available after an NYPD press conference on Wednesday.
“Residents of DUMBO and Brooklyn Heights should expect significant neighborhood disruptions, including major street closures beginning at 2 p.m.,” the city says. “If you live in this area, you will be required to show proof of address to get to your block and will need to retrieve guests at designated NYPD checkpoints.”
Councilmember Lincoln Restler, D-Brooklyn Heights, Greenpoint, reached out to the city about the plans, but said he has heard nothing about a city employee VIP area on the Promenade.
“Today is July 2, and we have received zero communications from the Mayor’s Office. The planning seems so disorganized and chaotic, and the information is inconsistent,” he said.
“It’s as if they have no regard for residents of Brooklyn Heights and DUMBO in planning this out,” Restler said. “Many neighbors don’t have a view from their homes and walk out to the Promenade to see the show. The whole setup is bizarre.”
The 4th of July is the busiest day of the year for Segupta Nasrin, owner and manager of Häagen-Dazs on Montague Street. She said she had no idea the neighborhood would be on lockdown, and has already booked extra employees and loaded up on ice cream for the big party.
“It’s a huge sale date,” she cried when the Eagle informed her. “We have cake deliveries that day. It’s a huge loss for our business and employees, and we got no notice!” She added, “I already did the schedule for extra employees. The city has to give us one week’s notice because I am obligated to give my employees one week’s notice. Without notice, they can’t do this.”
Ivan Arguello, co-owner of Key Food on Montague Street with Enrico Palazio, was steamed.
“The minute they told us the fireworks were on this side, I filled up with drinks and ice and brought on employees,” he said. “The city gave us no advanced notice [about the lockdown]. We wouldn’t have known anything if the Brooklyn Eagle hadn’t told us.
“We plan our schedule a week in advance every Friday, so if my employees need a day off, we can plan for it,” Arguello said. “We have a business to run, we have deliveries. We have people scheduled to work — what if they can’t come? I have no idea what we’re going to do.” He added, “I have been here since 1982; they have never done anything like this.”
“This is crazy, it’s just ridiculous!” said Estela Johannesen, owner of James Weir Floral Company, who said she now faces a transportation hurdle on one of her busiest days.
“For the past 15 years, we’ve done the flowers for the National Dance Competition at the Brooklyn Marriott for the Fourth of July,” she said. With the streets locked down, she said she will have to hand-deliver the flower displays to the hotel, three-quarters of a mile away. “I have to walk, what am I going to do?”
“Imagine all the Brooklyn families who are going to come,” Johannesen added. “People will be pissed off. I hope they don’t do any vandalism; people get angry.”
Johannesen was speaking at the time with Kate Chura, executive director of the Montague Street BID. “It was so last minute,” Chura agreed.
Ashley Coiffard, owner of the popular local bakery L’Appartement 4F, is trying to roll with the punches, however. “We’re closing the wine bar at the bakery on the 4th so the staff can have the night off,” she said. “The bakery will also close an hour early, at 4 p.m. instead of 5 p.m. We’ll see how this affects business during the day.”
Linda DeRosa, president of the Willowtown Association, said the Mayor’s Office had told her Tuesday that the Promenade would be closed on the 4th of July for what they called “Agency Viewing.”
She questioned why the city is making a residential street like Joralemon one of four major entry points to Brooklyn Bridge Park, while blocking off the main shopping street in the Heights.
“Our small residential street will be overwhelmed,” she said.
In an online flyer, the city said trains would skip the Clark Street station in the Heights from 8-11 p.m. on July 4. An MTA employee at the station said he knew nothing about that, “As far as I know, we will have train service at Clark Street from 8-11 p.m.”
An employee at Drip Coffee, one of the businesses in the station, also said he had heard nothing about the station shut down.
Across the street at Clark’s Diner, owner Harry said he also knew nothing about it.
“I was going to shut at 2 anyway,” he said.
Restler said many issues were up in the air concerning IDs. “Many folks still have their driver’s licenses from a previous residence,” he said. “Will they be allowed on their street?”
Heights resident Margo, who asked that her last name not be used, said she is preparing to leave for a trip on July 2, with friends arriving from France to take care of her pets. “I just found out my street is being blocked and there is no information,” she said. “It’s annoying and confusing, and I want my guests at the minimum to go into the house without being questioned. Do I need to pull up a Docusign?”
This year, spectators can only view the Macy’s Annual Fourth of July Fireworks Display on the Brooklyn side of the East River with a ticket. The lottery is currently closed. The display may also be viewed from the FDR Drive. Learn more about the fireworks at Macys.com.
Residents, guests of residents, hotel guests or those who work in the area may enter via the following intersections:
More information on intersections and street closures here: https://july4thtickets.events.nyc/
THE ANNUAL MACY’S 4TH OF JULY FIREWORKS SHOW THIS YEAR WILL LAUNCH FROM THE ICONIC BROOKLYN BRIDGE and four surrounding barges.
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — Despite signs saying that the Fourth of July fireworks would not be visible from the Brooklyn Heights Promenade or Brooklyn Bridge Park
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