The family of the man whose left arm was blown off when lighting illegal fireworks in front of his Islip Terrace home say that doctors cannot reattach the limb. Eric Smith's grandfather told the Daily News, "His arm is gone. It's not going to be attached." His uncle revealed to the Post that Smith asked about the extend of the damage, "He didn't realize how far it [the limb] was gone... He's going to have a rough road... a couple of tough weeks ahead of him. They could not attach the arm. It's severed from the shoulder down." more ›

Because July 4th fell on a Sunday yesterday, the holiday is being observed today. Which is why most of you have today off. Here are other details about government offices (closed) and mass transit today from the NY Times. more ›

It's July 4th, on which we celebrate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence (transcript) and the colonies' independence from Great Britain in 1776. And here's that famous opening:

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. more ›

It's just three days until the Fourth of July and the big Macy's Fireworks Spectacular which will be over the Hudson River, for a second year in a row (the Hudson apparently allows for bigger barges, which then results in a bigger display). An estimated 40,000 shells will explode in a 26-minute period! Here's the deal: more ›

This morning we took a trip out to the secret, secure location* where Macy's is loading 40,000 fireworks shells on to six enormous barges ahead of this Sunday July 4th fireworks show. We weren't allowed on to the actual barges: Apparently handling explosives involves a license from the FDNY. But we were able to snap some pictures of the pyro-techs from SoUSA loading and wiring the display, and we also got to play with a bunch of dummy shells—specially prepared to prevent bloggers from blowing themselves up! more ›

Visitors to Prospect Park this past Sunday may have noticed how their fellow park-goers chose to celebrate American independence—by trashing a few acres of park grounds. Raphael Brion was one of those visitors, and he snapped a few photos of the post-Fourth carnage to share with us on Flickr. more ›

Tonight, the HudsonRiver will be the scene for this year's Macy's 4th of July Fireworks. Six barges are set up in the water between 24th and 50th Streets— at approximately 9 p.m., 45,000 shells will explode 1000 feet into the air and some will even skim the water. The best viewing spots along the Hudson (on the NYC side) are anywhere below 59th Street along 12th Avenue—but there are specific access points on 11th Avenue: 24th Street, 26th-30th Streets, 34th Street, 40th-44th Streets, 47th-52nd Streets, and 54th-57th Streets. There is very limited viewing north of 59th Street on the West Side; overall, patience is key! Here's street closure info and subway and bus travel tips from the MTA. And you can share your fireworks photographs with us by tagging them "gothamist" on Flickr or emailing us at tips(at)gothamist(dot)com . more ›

With all this rain it may not seem very much like summer out there lately, but hopefully by the 4th will be all sunshine and fireworks. Here are some old images of New York City on Independence Day, courtesy of LIFE's photo archive. Man, people really packed on to those beaches! more ›

Tomorrow night is the 33rd annual Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks. As we all know, the fireworks will take place over the Hudson River this year, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the river's exploration by Henry Hudson. Expect a dazzling display of 45,000 shells (which will explode a rate of more than 1,500 per minute) from six barges, which is the most barges that Macy's has ever used. Fireworks designer Gary Souza told the Post that the Hudson "gives us a broader area to launch the fireworks from and makes the show that much more spectacular. It's one of the biggest and best shows we've ever put together." more ›

There's one more day of rain to contend with before the dry weekend. Two upper level disturbances are going to pass overhead today. You know the drill, look out for scattered showers and thunderstorms from early this afternoon through the evening. These are expected to be slow-moving storms, so they may dump lots of rain where they strike. Also, small hail and gusty winds. We'll see highs from the mid 70s to near 80. more ›

Since July 4th falls on a Saturday, today is a federal holiday. Government offices are closed, and most post offices are closed—the Farley Post Office at 8th Avenue and 32nd Street is open. Sunday parking rules are in effect and while there will be sanitation "pickups, street cleaning and recycling on Friday," there won't be any on Saturday according to the NY Times. Also, the subways are running on a Saturday schedule, while city buses are running on a Sunday one—and Metro-North and Long Island Rail Road are on a regular weekday schedule. Many businesses are giving employees the day off—are you taking it easy today? more ›

With the Macy's July 4 fireworks extravaganza on the Hudson River this year (to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson's voyage down the Hudson River), crowds will be lining up on both the New York and New Jersey sides of the river to catch a glimpse of the display. And while NY is used to the security and preparations required, NJ towns aren't: The NY Times reports, "The new location has left town officials in Hoboken, Weehawken, North Bergen and other waterfront communities confronting something they do not often have to deal with — the 100,000 or more spectators they expect to descend on the Hudson’s west bank." Local police and fire departments have warned about grilling regulations and some apartment buildings limited tenants' guests or said only tenants with ID will be allowed in (forget those parties!). There are also driving restrictions in Jersey City plus a zero-tolerance policy—"Open containers, public urination, public nuisance and destruction of property are all subject to a $1,000 fine per infraction," according to Hoboken Now, thanks to the rowdy St. Patrick's Parade behavior (which probably means having sex in public is "public nuisance" and pooping in the hallway is "destruction of property"). more ›