Hundreds of Thousands Pack Brooklyn Waterfront for Spectacular 4th of July Fireworks

Photos by MK Metz

A spectacular July 4th fireworks display included blasts shot from the Brooklyn Bridge and rockets set off from the barges in the East River.

All of the barges were moved south of the Brooklyn Bridge because of a strong tide, giving an amazing view to the hundreds of thousands of folks packed into Brooklyn Bridge Park and the Brooklyn Heights Promenade.

We've never seen the Promenade so crowded. There was not an inch of room to spare. (Amazing the thing didn't fall down. No, seriously.)

Police told McBrooklyn they were expecting half a million to the Promenade and Brooklyn Bridge Park. It appears we achieved that number, though we have no way to really know.

After the display, the crowds walking to the subways were friggin amazing. Someone said, "This is what the zombie apocalypse will look like."

People surged down Cadman Plaza West and Henry Street for more than an hour. Cars trying to get out of the parking garage on Cadman were blocked by all of the pedestrians who wouldn't let them out.

A little later, there was a traffic jam almost entirely composed of all of the city's emergency vehicles, which had been parked on Cadman, Tillary and Columbia Heights. An ambulance tried to get through -- forget it! They were stuck on Cadman Plaza West for at least 15 minutes.

VIPs in a motorcade from the River Cafe (looked a lot like the Mayor) drove a little too fast through the crowds of humanity.

Afterwards, fireworks went off all over Brooklyn, a nightlong display from rooftops and sidewalks.

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