New and nearby for this year: The Liberty, a Luxury Collection Hotel just across the street from the Esplanade and where the fireworks will be visible from the fourth-floor balcony catwalks that line the hotel’s cavernous lobby, will be open to the public.
From the water
Don’t forget that this is a waterfront city, and watercrafts abound. Each Independence Day, the Charles River chokes with anchored boats awaiting the evening’s fireworks. If you aren’t able to score an invite on a friend’s boat, a rented kayak will do just fine—and the launch location of beloved outfitter Paddle Boston in Cambridge’s Kendall Square, just across the river from the Hatch Shell, is an easy five-minute row to the heart of the action. If they don’t have availability when you go to book, look into renting from the Boston location on Soldier’s Field Road; just note that it involves about a one-hour paddle each way to and from the best vantage points. If being chauffeured around is more your speed, the Charles Riverboat Company is doing a rain-or-shine sunset sailing aboard the Lexington, from 7:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. Kick back and relax while enjoying an open bar, a dessert buffet, and an unbeatable view of the fireworks over the city’s skyline. Tickets are $250 and can be purchased via phone.
For an even more turnkey experience, Martignetti Hospitality Group (of popular restaurant Sogno, twelve miles north of Boston) is once again offering “Sogno-at-Sea,” a 60-foot Azimut available for private charters complete with caviar, champagne, serving staff and all the Sogno light bites you can handle. It’ll set you back $7,500 for twenty-five guests, but can you really put a price on having your own sunset charter under Boston’s most iconic fireworks display? Turns out, you can.
From the sky
How about something a little more… elevated? View Boston, an observation deck that occupies the top three floors of the Prudential Tower, is offering a special adults-only July 4th viewing party. Admission grants access to both indoor and outdoor viewing options, making this a great option in case of inclement weather. General admission costs $49.99, and the VIP Experience at $150 provides access to a reserved seating area, two complimentary drinks, and a light buffet.
From Cambridge, Charlestown, and remotely
The classic spot from which to watch the fireworks in Cambridge is the grassy quadrangle at MIT, where a giant screen live-streams the Boston Pops concert. The view from this side of the river—with the city skyline in the background and more sweeping vantage points over the Charles River—might just beat being on the Esplanade itself.
For something with more local flavor, head across the Charles over to Charlestown, the oldest neighborhood in Boston (also known as “The Town”), where outdoor bars The Anchor and Pier 6 offer plenty of space to move around and a relatively clear line of sight to the fireworks. If you’d rather catch the show from the comfort of your own home, you can also tune in nationally on The CW, or locally on WHDH Channel 7.