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New Year's fireworks over Copley Square: Lack of money or delusions of grandeur?
By adamg on Thu, 12/29/2016 - 2:19pm
NorthEndWaterfront.com wonders if the real reason the current operators of First Night have shifted the midnight fireworks from Boston Harbor to Copley Square is not because it's cheaper but to try to build up a Boston version of Times Square:
Watch this year as the TV hosts interview the Copley attendees and count the suburbanites that will have come in to Copley, all decked out in a spectacularly crowded space. The Back Bay event will be instantly labeled a “success” because it will look good on television.
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Comments
I think they're forgetting
that the security at Times Square for NYE is absolutely brutal. No one but tourists and college kids have the foolish endurance for it.
It's tight holding pens with metal detectors and bag searches to enter. No reentry, so people wear Depends so as to not lose their spot due to restroom needs.
Granted, from the Marathon there's a solid security plan in place for Copley Square, but Times Square isn't exactly a pleasant place to be on NYE for all but the craziest of people.
Not even bothering.
Left Boston for Christmas with no solid plans for NYE. Decided to just stay through this weekend as soon as the move was official.
The city stopped doing First
The city stopped doing First Night themselves because there was no money. In stepped a private company who quickly discovered, surprise surprise, that there's still no money.
But sure, it's another conspiracy of the always lurking New York-ifiers.
As with the Pops on the Fourth
First Blight lost its original sense of purpose many years ago when we let the commercial sponsors take control. Perhaps it would be best for everyone if we just decided to retire both of these outdated "traditions."
nah
nothing wrong with the 4th of july celebrations, though i'm not a huge fan of the security measures in place.
go by boat if you can would be my recommendation, its a good time.
"Traditions"?
The first Boston Pops Fourth of July concert at the Hatch Shell was in 1929. How old are you that it isn't a tradition?
You're both partly right
Didn't the current form of the July 4th concert, with 1812 Overture and fireworks, start in 1974?
nah
40+ years is still a tradition no matter how much somebody doesn't care for it
Because at Copley you can
Because at Copley you can readily walk to various versions of the MBTA or a parking garage and get the hell out of there. The waterfront? It's freezing out there, and then you have to make your way back to where the T or your car is.
Waterfront has good T access too
South Station, Courthouse station, Aquarium, Maverick