Uptown NYC Neighborhood Guide

On Thursday, July 4, crowds will flock to Manhattan's West Side to watch Macy's 4th of July Fireworks light up the night sky in honor of Independence Day. More than 40,000 fireworks will burst forth from four barges floating on the Hudson River, synchronized to an eclectic soundtrack of patriotic standards, and classic and current pop songs that were all handpicked by Grammy Award winner Usher. In fact, he even helped influence the design of the fireworks!

While it may seem like the holiday is a long way off, it's actually just three weeks away. Tickets for paid viewing options, like 4th of July fireworks cruises and watching from the deck of the Intrepid, are already on sale and going fast. Of course you don't need to spend a penny see the sparklers, but there are some important things to know before you go. We've got the scoop on how to find the best places to watch Macy's 4th of July Fireworks with your family.

Enjoying a free alfresco film is a rite of summer in New York City. Even if you go to see a flick you've watched a million times at home, it's a totally different experience viewing it in the open air alongside a couple hundred other movie lovers. It ends up being a pretty thrilling communal event.

A few outdoor movie series, like RiverFlicks for Kids in the West Village, are aimed specifically at children. But even the big grown-up ones like Bryant Park and Brooklyn Bridge Park's Syfy Movies With A View include a family-friendly screening or two. Plus this year, the Central Park Conservancy is asking New Yorkers to pick which movies they want to see for the park's annual August outdoor film festival!

Movies usually begin at dusk between 8-8:30pm but make sure you arrive early: The well known series fill up fast. Plus, sometimes there is cool, pre-movie entertainment. So pack a picnic, bring your blanket, sit back, relax and enjoy the show at one of these outdoor summer movie series in NYC.

While lots of New York City's fantastic summer performance series are kid appropriate, children know when an event isn't aimed directly at them. So while we totally encourage you to bring your preschoolers to hear the New York Philharmonic and the Metropolitan Opera perform in Central Park, make sure you take them to a few outdoor concerts just for them, too.

Happily, that's easy to do in this town. NYC's kiddie music scene seems to get bigger every year. In fact, this season, there are almost as many free outdoor performance series for kids as there are for adults! We’ve got the scoop on the coolest under(play)ground concerts in New York City's parks, playgrounds and plazas. So grab a blanket, score a good spot and enjoy the tunes, weather permitting.