I was 26 and a student at the New England Conservatory of Muaic. Our vocal quartet had been hired by the National Park Service to sing early American music at Boston's Prudential Center Plaza. I'd never seen so many people in one place before. It was magical.
In 1976, I had just turned 5 years old. Where I grew up in California, every year there was a big fireworks show at the beach. 1976 was the biggest one yet! My father, being a military veteran and super patriotic, was so excited to take all of us kids, but my mom was NOT going to let me and my little sister (aged 3) go. We whined and cried, but she said it was way too cold (foggy Northern California). So me and sissy sadly went to bed while our dad and brothers got ready to go. Suddenly there was a knock at the bedroom window and our Daddy beckoning us to open up. He whispered, "grab your coats!!". We did, and he lifted us out of the window, then hid us under blankets in the back of the station wagon. The fireworks were magical!! Me and my little sister, in our nightgowns and coats, all snuggled in the back of the car under blankets. Afterwards, he sneakily deposited back in our room with a dire warning, "DON'T tell your mom about this!!!". (We knew better ). I'm not sure if she ever found out, but I kept that secret from my mom forever! I have to ask my sister if she remembers that day.
I loved the Bicentennial so much that I wrote a novel, Bicentennial Eve, which takes place the day before the Bicentennial. It was published last month and is available on Amazon and Bookshop. 🙂
We were living in Edina, MN and we had a block party, my first of only two in my life so far. It was terribly exciting, choosing my red, white, and blue outfit including terry shorts and decorating my bicycle for the bike parade. I remember my two side ponytails with matching hairbands. We rode proudly down the block with streamers on our bikes, a couple of friends walking and banging pots and pans, and the adults cheering us on. That day there were barbecues on one lawn, water balloon volleyball on another. The high school boys lifted us younger kids up in the air to get our balloons over the net. We did 3 legged races and sack races. It was a beautiful summer day and we had so much fun.
I was 20 and home from college for the summer. My family was invited to a party at an apartment that overlooked the river. We watched the parade of tall ships. Later, my sister and I went to a friend’s apartment, shared a joint and oohed and aahed at the fireworks around the Statue of Liberty. Aaaahhh, the 70s. What a time to be alive!
In 1976, I was eight years old - the summer between second and third grade. We had just moved into a new neighborhood where I had gone door to door up and down my street, looking for kids to play with.
I remember the buzz of excitement. Thanks to Laura, I now remember collecting each state's commemorative quarter and placing them in coin folios. I think we had three...mine and one for each of my parents.
Somehow my mom caught wind of the opportunity for me to march in the Fourth of July parade (someone else here referred to a children’s parade, which triggered
a memory that maybe ours was as well?). I wanted to dress as Laura Ingalls and push by doll buggy. My mom created a bunting out of a ‘76 flag print cloth that I was so proud of. I was proud of my country and the whole thing made eight-year-old me feel part of something.
This year, we will probably stay home, calm our dogs, and wonder at people who set off illegal fireworks in tinder-dry Colorado despite the requests of their neighbors as well as how we got to this horrible, divisive place.
I was 6 years old. On July 4th, I went with my dad to the 4th of July parade in Redwood City, California. It was a super long parade with a ton of floats because of the bicentennial--I remember being there for what seemed like half a day, but it was probably just a couple of hours.
My dad stationed us in front of a pay phone and called my mom every half hour to check on her as it happened to be her due date as well! (My little brother had other plans. He waited until July 16 to show up.) The only float I remember was a convertible driving very slowly, with a driver around my dad's age and three old men in the back seat. The one closest to me, wearing a white suit, was the spitting image of the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken, who appeared in TV commercials for KFC; beard, bolo tie, etc. I told my dad this and he laughed & shook his head. I was just learning to read, and the sash on their car identified them as veterans of World War I.
Much more than the 4th, I'm looking foward to celebrating my "little" brother's 50th birthday this month. Growing up, I can't say that we were close, probably due to the age difference. We were never playmates. But as we got older we became closer, and now we live near each other, and our current adventure together---navigating the life issues of our parents who are both in their mid-80s--makes me appreciate him even more & I'm so glad he's nearby.
I was seven in 1976. I don’t remember what we did on July 4th but I do remember all the excitement about the 200th anniversary. I still have a bicentennial themed Holly Hobby doll I got that year.
Great request. Here goes. I was 17, and on the very evening-of, my best friend Larry and I were camping high above Jackson, Wyoming in the Grand Tetons watching the smattering of fireworks from the village below. This was the midpoint of a cross country drive between 11th and 12th grade from Rockville, MD to the coast and back, that our moms inexplicably allowed us to do (always ask the Mom for permission!). That trip opened my eyes to America and arguably was the true founding date of Beyondish, all these years later.
I was 37 in 1976, living in NYC & working as a lawyer for a book publisher. My husband was an artist and one of his artist friends had a loft in SOHO that overlooked the Hudson River. He painted the floors red, white & blue and had an all day party to celebrate & watch the tall ships sail up the river. Many happy memories from that day
Your'e my age. Congratulations to each of us making it this far.
in 1976, I was living NYC and starting to invest, w/ partners, in buildings. They were so cheap! Now they have increased: times 40. Those SOHO buildings with no C of O were practically free.
I recall that July 4th: I thought: Of course! This is NYC! And the Halloween parades down 5th avenue were actually accessible because no body came into NYC, from bridges or tunnels. People were afraid of NYC. So dangerous, so dirty, so confusing.....
Yes, congratulations to each of us! My husband had a shop on Lafayette St. between Houston & Spring in one of those old buildings before they were "discovered", and he as well as me were able to enjoy SOHO before it became just another expensive part of the city to live & shop. We also use to joke about the bridge & tunnel crowd who only came into the city on weekends to drink and party. Now of course Brooklyn is the place where all the trending restaurants & shops are.
Thank you for sharing that part of your story. My brother was also living in NYC at the same time. He was gay and his best friend was one of the first to die of AIDS, so I know from him what a horrible disease it was at that time. Dean & DeLucas was expensive but before SOHO was taken over by the wealthy, but was a good place to shop for really good produce, pasta and other things not available in the local grocery stores.
.I had 3 grocery stores near my east 15th street apartment then: Trader Joes!!!
and I took the 2nd ave bus down to a part of chinatown where there were only Chinese shopping...great variety of everything under the sun. even live fish. It was partly under, or near, the Brooklyn Bridge.
living in Mexico since 2010...many items impossible to buy. Spoiled by NYC.
Lost many friends to AIDS. The early cases lasted a few months. When we went to Fire Island, I asked John , a doctor, what about the mosquitos?? he didn't know. Thank god, I never had sex with a gay guy or one who was bi. lucky me. I had a female friend who did and she got it. and died.
I shared a loft at 450 Broome...windows on 2 sides, ceiling so high that we installed a swing. 7th floor, elevator would go out when someone had a party and packed the elevator. Quite a hike to walk up 7 loft height floors.
Tofu factory in the basement so the building smelled kind of like laundry. David Burn had a loft across the street with a room installed inside a room. prob. for making noise. Rent was $450 per month.
Very enjoyable to share memories with someone who remembers that part of my life. Can't remember the name but there was a pub at the corner of Broom and West Broadway owned by Kenny Reisdorf(?) whose wife owned Berry's on Spring Street. Both favorite places to eat and drink.
I recall the "Natural"...I think....the only restaurant and 2 bars. and no place to shop.
After Soho became a fking shopping mall, I stopped going there ..
Except my friend who I shared the Broome street loft with and also a bedroom in the Oriental house in Cherry Grove...he was gay. me: not so much....
In Cherry Grove, He found himself the love of his life and they ended up on Prince St. in a condo...He got bought out of the Broome street loft...The lover died and then he got sick...I spent his last 3 months with him...It was crazy. He was the most wonderful person, 15 yrs younger than I was, and really wanted to sample more of life...he loved everything, like an intelligent 7 year old.
At the end of each day, I didn't even know if I had eaten.
I did shop in sOHO then...at Dean and DeLucas...with a shopping cart! Before that it was, to me, a museum of unaffordable food. He died august 1997, the same week as Princess Diana.
He missed the chance for "the cocktails" that kept many going a lot longer.He was Australian, a Psychiatrist.
While we were sharing the loft, he sold the idea of ET to Spielberg. He was offered $150K or one point. He took the $150K...if he had asked me, I would have said, "John, it's a "toy" throw it up in the air ..take the point." he would have taken my advice because he hated money since his father in Bendigo, Australia was super rich and super critical of his sensitive only child.
A point was worth 11million after only 2 years. Oh well.
I said, "well, John, if you come up with another idea.,you know that Spielberg will always take your calls " He never did.
I was 8 years old and likely at home on 7/4/76 as my parents weren't big fans of going to the local fairgrounds to see fireworks. I just remember a year of everthing being red, whilte and blue and standing out in front of my elementary school in VA and watching the Wagon Train go by. Decades later, I love that my best friend who grew up in CA has a similar memory of the Wagon Train.
The United States' 200th celebration was so special for me. I was 15, living in Baltimore, and one of our family's closest friends worked for NASA in Washington, DC. We spent the afternoon with Haggai giving us a tour of the newly opened Air & Space Museum. How amazing to touch a piece of the moon, and I even met a real astronaut in the parking garage! (If I only remembered who it was . . .) Haggai's commentary was colorful and detailed, and we ended up having a line of 30-some people trailing us in the museum as they wanted to listen in as well. I remember feeling so special to be a friend of this amazing man. We stayed for the evening to watch the fireworks, which were amazing of course, and all in all, it was a happy day of feeling like a part of something bigger, like anything was possible. In fact, pushing myself as far as I can is one of the life lessons imparted to me by my dad. :)
Thanks, Sari. I had been reminiscing about the experience recently, but hadn't thought more deeply about its meaning. Thanks for your invitation to do so! It gives me inspiration, for me for sure and maybe even for this country.
I wasn’t alive, but I’ve heard my husband talk about seeing the tall ships in Newport, RI as one of the fondest memories of his life. There is one photo of him as a seven year old, watching the bicentennial parade and it hurts a little, to see that sweet, expectant face from the past. His birthday is in July and I just bought him a vintage Newport tall ships shirt (hopefully it’s a match to his childhood one that’s lost!!) and, it will arrive on the 4th. ❤️
We stayed with our grandparents in Philadelphia. I was 9. I figured this was the place to be in terms of celebrating American history. I remember it raining just before the fireworks. I remember trying to calculate if I’d be around for the tricentennial, and deciding probably not. I at least made it halfway.
I remember the '76 celebration as well. I wonder if it was our age at the time, or a change in sentiment about our country that makes the 250th feel different?
I was 26 and a student at the New England Conservatory of Muaic. Our vocal quartet had been hired by the National Park Service to sing early American music at Boston's Prudential Center Plaza. I'd never seen so many people in one place before. It was magical.
How wonderful. Sounds magical.
In 1976, I had just turned 5 years old. Where I grew up in California, every year there was a big fireworks show at the beach. 1976 was the biggest one yet! My father, being a military veteran and super patriotic, was so excited to take all of us kids, but my mom was NOT going to let me and my little sister (aged 3) go. We whined and cried, but she said it was way too cold (foggy Northern California). So me and sissy sadly went to bed while our dad and brothers got ready to go. Suddenly there was a knock at the bedroom window and our Daddy beckoning us to open up. He whispered, "grab your coats!!". We did, and he lifted us out of the window, then hid us under blankets in the back of the station wagon. The fireworks were magical!! Me and my little sister, in our nightgowns and coats, all snuggled in the back of the car under blankets. Afterwards, he sneakily deposited back in our room with a dire warning, "DON'T tell your mom about this!!!". (We knew better ). I'm not sure if she ever found out, but I kept that secret from my mom forever! I have to ask my sister if she remembers that day.
Sweet.
I loved the Bicentennial so much that I wrote a novel, Bicentennial Eve, which takes place the day before the Bicentennial. It was published last month and is available on Amazon and Bookshop. 🙂
Wow!
Congratulations!
Thank you!
We were living in Edina, MN and we had a block party, my first of only two in my life so far. It was terribly exciting, choosing my red, white, and blue outfit including terry shorts and decorating my bicycle for the bike parade. I remember my two side ponytails with matching hairbands. We rode proudly down the block with streamers on our bikes, a couple of friends walking and banging pots and pans, and the adults cheering us on. That day there were barbecues on one lawn, water balloon volleyball on another. The high school boys lifted us younger kids up in the air to get our balloons over the net. We did 3 legged races and sack races. It was a beautiful summer day and we had so much fun.
I remember this kind of excitement on that day…
Oh and sparklers too!
I was 20 and home from college for the summer. My family was invited to a party at an apartment that overlooked the river. We watched the parade of tall ships. Later, my sister and I went to a friend’s apartment, shared a joint and oohed and aahed at the fireworks around the Statue of Liberty. Aaaahhh, the 70s. What a time to be alive!
In 1976, I was eight years old - the summer between second and third grade. We had just moved into a new neighborhood where I had gone door to door up and down my street, looking for kids to play with.
I remember the buzz of excitement. Thanks to Laura, I now remember collecting each state's commemorative quarter and placing them in coin folios. I think we had three...mine and one for each of my parents.
Somehow my mom caught wind of the opportunity for me to march in the Fourth of July parade (someone else here referred to a children’s parade, which triggered
a memory that maybe ours was as well?). I wanted to dress as Laura Ingalls and push by doll buggy. My mom created a bunting out of a ‘76 flag print cloth that I was so proud of. I was proud of my country and the whole thing made eight-year-old me feel part of something.
This year, we will probably stay home, calm our dogs, and wonder at people who set off illegal fireworks in tinder-dry Colorado despite the requests of their neighbors as well as how we got to this horrible, divisive place.
I'd forgotten about collecting those quarters! Thank you for the memory.
I was 6 years old. On July 4th, I went with my dad to the 4th of July parade in Redwood City, California. It was a super long parade with a ton of floats because of the bicentennial--I remember being there for what seemed like half a day, but it was probably just a couple of hours.
My dad stationed us in front of a pay phone and called my mom every half hour to check on her as it happened to be her due date as well! (My little brother had other plans. He waited until July 16 to show up.) The only float I remember was a convertible driving very slowly, with a driver around my dad's age and three old men in the back seat. The one closest to me, wearing a white suit, was the spitting image of the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken, who appeared in TV commercials for KFC; beard, bolo tie, etc. I told my dad this and he laughed & shook his head. I was just learning to read, and the sash on their car identified them as veterans of World War I.
Much more than the 4th, I'm looking foward to celebrating my "little" brother's 50th birthday this month. Growing up, I can't say that we were close, probably due to the age difference. We were never playmates. But as we got older we became closer, and now we live near each other, and our current adventure together---navigating the life issues of our parents who are both in their mid-80s--makes me appreciate him even more & I'm so glad he's nearby.
I was seven in 1976. I don’t remember what we did on July 4th but I do remember all the excitement about the 200th anniversary. I still have a bicentennial themed Holly Hobby doll I got that year.
Great request. Here goes. I was 17, and on the very evening-of, my best friend Larry and I were camping high above Jackson, Wyoming in the Grand Tetons watching the smattering of fireworks from the village below. This was the midpoint of a cross country drive between 11th and 12th grade from Rockville, MD to the coast and back, that our moms inexplicably allowed us to do (always ask the Mom for permission!). That trip opened my eyes to America and arguably was the true founding date of Beyondish, all these years later.
I was 37 in 1976, living in NYC & working as a lawyer for a book publisher. My husband was an artist and one of his artist friends had a loft in SOHO that overlooked the Hudson River. He painted the floors red, white & blue and had an all day party to celebrate & watch the tall ships sail up the river. Many happy memories from that day
Your'e my age. Congratulations to each of us making it this far.
in 1976, I was living NYC and starting to invest, w/ partners, in buildings. They were so cheap! Now they have increased: times 40. Those SOHO buildings with no C of O were practically free.
I recall that July 4th: I thought: Of course! This is NYC! And the Halloween parades down 5th avenue were actually accessible because no body came into NYC, from bridges or tunnels. People were afraid of NYC. So dangerous, so dirty, so confusing.....
Yes, congratulations to each of us! My husband had a shop on Lafayette St. between Houston & Spring in one of those old buildings before they were "discovered", and he as well as me were able to enjoy SOHO before it became just another expensive part of the city to live & shop. We also use to joke about the bridge & tunnel crowd who only came into the city on weekends to drink and party. Now of course Brooklyn is the place where all the trending restaurants & shops are.
Broome y w.Broadway: Kenn's bar?
Thank you for sharing that part of your story. My brother was also living in NYC at the same time. He was gay and his best friend was one of the first to die of AIDS, so I know from him what a horrible disease it was at that time. Dean & DeLucas was expensive but before SOHO was taken over by the wealthy, but was a good place to shop for really good produce, pasta and other things not available in the local grocery stores.
I may have bought a piece of fruit there..
.I had 3 grocery stores near my east 15th street apartment then: Trader Joes!!!
and I took the 2nd ave bus down to a part of chinatown where there were only Chinese shopping...great variety of everything under the sun. even live fish. It was partly under, or near, the Brooklyn Bridge.
living in Mexico since 2010...many items impossible to buy. Spoiled by NYC.
Lost many friends to AIDS. The early cases lasted a few months. When we went to Fire Island, I asked John , a doctor, what about the mosquitos?? he didn't know. Thank god, I never had sex with a gay guy or one who was bi. lucky me. I had a female friend who did and she got it. and died.
I shared a loft at 450 Broome...windows on 2 sides, ceiling so high that we installed a swing. 7th floor, elevator would go out when someone had a party and packed the elevator. Quite a hike to walk up 7 loft height floors.
Tofu factory in the basement so the building smelled kind of like laundry. David Burn had a loft across the street with a room installed inside a room. prob. for making noise. Rent was $450 per month.
Very enjoyable to share memories with someone who remembers that part of my life. Can't remember the name but there was a pub at the corner of Broom and West Broadway owned by Kenny Reisdorf(?) whose wife owned Berry's on Spring Street. Both favorite places to eat and drink.
I recall the "Natural"...I think....the only restaurant and 2 bars. and no place to shop.
After Soho became a fking shopping mall, I stopped going there ..
Except my friend who I shared the Broome street loft with and also a bedroom in the Oriental house in Cherry Grove...he was gay. me: not so much....
In Cherry Grove, He found himself the love of his life and they ended up on Prince St. in a condo...He got bought out of the Broome street loft...The lover died and then he got sick...I spent his last 3 months with him...It was crazy. He was the most wonderful person, 15 yrs younger than I was, and really wanted to sample more of life...he loved everything, like an intelligent 7 year old.
At the end of each day, I didn't even know if I had eaten.
I did shop in sOHO then...at Dean and DeLucas...with a shopping cart! Before that it was, to me, a museum of unaffordable food. He died august 1997, the same week as Princess Diana.
He missed the chance for "the cocktails" that kept many going a lot longer.He was Australian, a Psychiatrist.
While we were sharing the loft, he sold the idea of ET to Spielberg. He was offered $150K or one point. He took the $150K...if he had asked me, I would have said, "John, it's a "toy" throw it up in the air ..take the point." he would have taken my advice because he hated money since his father in Bendigo, Australia was super rich and super critical of his sensitive only child.
A point was worth 11million after only 2 years. Oh well.
I said, "well, John, if you come up with another idea.,you know that Spielberg will always take your calls " He never did.
I was 8 years old and likely at home on 7/4/76 as my parents weren't big fans of going to the local fairgrounds to see fireworks. I just remember a year of everthing being red, whilte and blue and standing out in front of my elementary school in VA and watching the Wagon Train go by. Decades later, I love that my best friend who grew up in CA has a similar memory of the Wagon Train.
The United States' 200th celebration was so special for me. I was 15, living in Baltimore, and one of our family's closest friends worked for NASA in Washington, DC. We spent the afternoon with Haggai giving us a tour of the newly opened Air & Space Museum. How amazing to touch a piece of the moon, and I even met a real astronaut in the parking garage! (If I only remembered who it was . . .) Haggai's commentary was colorful and detailed, and we ended up having a line of 30-some people trailing us in the museum as they wanted to listen in as well. I remember feeling so special to be a friend of this amazing man. We stayed for the evening to watch the fireworks, which were amazing of course, and all in all, it was a happy day of feeling like a part of something bigger, like anything was possible. In fact, pushing myself as far as I can is one of the life lessons imparted to me by my dad. :)
I was 15, too, and yes--that feeling of being a part of something bigger!
Amazing.
Thanks, Sari. I had been reminiscing about the experience recently, but hadn't thought more deeply about its meaning. Thanks for your invitation to do so! It gives me inspiration, for me for sure and maybe even for this country.
<3
Went to see the Beach Boys and fireworks at the DC mall, marched with Normal 🙂✌️
What a throw-back.
I wasn’t alive, but I’ve heard my husband talk about seeing the tall ships in Newport, RI as one of the fondest memories of his life. There is one photo of him as a seven year old, watching the bicentennial parade and it hurts a little, to see that sweet, expectant face from the past. His birthday is in July and I just bought him a vintage Newport tall ships shirt (hopefully it’s a match to his childhood one that’s lost!!) and, it will arrive on the 4th. ❤️
Oh, nice.
We stayed with our grandparents in Philadelphia. I was 9. I figured this was the place to be in terms of celebrating American history. I remember it raining just before the fireworks. I remember trying to calculate if I’d be around for the tricentennial, and deciding probably not. I at least made it halfway.
I was just calculating that yesterday. It's a big no, but hopefully my grandchildren have a great tricentennial!
I remember the '76 celebration as well. I wonder if it was our age at the time, or a change in sentiment about our country that makes the 250th feel different?
I feel like it's a little bit of both.
Yes. We were so young and innocent.