4th of July Picnic on the FDR Parkway

So, here is what happened.

To celebrate our country’s independence from the Queen, myself and 3 pals – Dave, Amy and Luke – decided to hoof it to the East side of Manhattan to enjoy the fireworks. The outing was an epic success.

First, we popped into Kentucky Fried Chicken got the Family Feast or whatever it is and lugged a couple buckets of bird, along with a cooler and grocery bags stuffed with chips and cookies, and grabbed the subway downtown.

We walked from Grand Central to the Eastern border of the island directly next to the United Nations. The normally nuts FDR Parkway is shut down by New York’s finest and you can set up camp on the freeway. Seriously.



The four of us had a picnic right there on the FDR that would have made Yogi Bear green with envy. You have never seen more envious partygoers than those that slowly walked by eyeballing our chicken and watermelon feast. Some drooled, right there by the U.N. off ramp.

We chatted with some tourists while we waited. They had figured on food vendors being set up and they were starving. We felt the necessity to be good New Yorkers and shared our picnic with strangers. Isn’t that what the 4th of July should be? I say yes.

After a couple hours of waiting, the fireworks began over the East River. Brilliant.

Fried Chicken, watermelon, a few laughs and fireworks on the freeway. Can’t ask for a better 4th than that.

Good night and good luck.