The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade will move from Broadway to Seventh Avenue for large portions of route. "The new route will greatly expand the viewing space" of the famous parade, said Department of Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Kahn.
In a statement, Mayor Michael Bloomberg added, "With more space available, the new route will be better for parade watchers, and better for the businesses that benefit from the activity generated by the parade."
The NY Times recently ran an article discussing the negative impact of such a move. To read the full story, click here.
The new parade route will still begin at Central Park West at West 77th Street, but at West 59th Street, it will shift to Seventh Avenue instead of Broadway. At West 42nd Street, it will turn east and continue down Sixth Avenue to Macy’s flagship store on West 34th Street.
While it calms the fears of many Times Square hotel managers - fearing the loss of business resulting from a move to Sixth Avenue - the compromise isn't without loss. Broadway properties the Novotel and Crown Plaza will no longer have views of the parade, and the W hotel will only have limited views.
"Some hotels on Broadway will take a hit because of cancellations," said Tim Tompkins, president of the Times Square Alliance. "But we do feel this is a far better solution than Sixth Avenue, and we appreciate that the city looked at it thoughtfully."
Originally known as the Macy's Christmas Parade, the first parade marched in Manhattan in 1924. The parade was first televised in 1946, and was broadcast nationally beginning in 1947.2009 marks the 83rd anniversary of the celebrated parade. For more information, visit the Macy's Parade website.
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