Fred: That baseball player sure looks like a giant to me. Susan: Sometimes people grow very large, but that’s abnormal. Fred: I’ll bet your mother told you that, too.*
by chuckofish
Hello, readers. Daughter #1 here.
Last night I watched Miracle on 34th Street. I think it is the perfect holiday transition movie because it starts with Thanksgiving and ends at Christmas. I love this movie for many reasons–but especially because it opens with the parade–my favorite part about living in on the Upper West Side in New York City.
The Upper West Side is not the coolest neighborhood in Manhattan. No, the Lower East Side or SoHo or Greenwich Village claim that. And the Upper East Side had Gossip Girl to bring it into the modern lexicon.
But for one day a year, the UWS is it. The day before Thanksgiving, on 79th and 81st Streets, they inflate the balloons ahead of the parade. In 2012, when my sister (Daughter #2) came to visit me for Thanksgiving, we left ABC at midnight (when I got off work) and got a front row preview of the next day’s festivities.
I lived two blocks from the start of the parade. The next morning, we ventured out to see if we could get a spot on the parade route–and we managed to squeeze in right at 79th and Central Park West, where the parade begins. We could hear the announcer calling for each entry to ‘Go’ when it was their turn to march. When we returned home, we drank mimosas and watched the back half of the parade on TV as it made its way to Herald Square at 34th Street.
One year, I learned that a co-worker grew up in an apartment on Central Park West and that his parents host a parade-viewing party every year. You can bet that I befriended him in the hopes of an invite.
But, in all honestly, I prefer the parade down on the ground. I didn’t like fighting young children for window seats at the party (I kid, but not really). In later years, I had a friend whose father was an FBI agent and was able to flash his badge and get us in without having to be there hours in advance. We’d roll up at 8:30 and then amuse those around with our witty banter (or at least imagine that we did).
I’ve always loved parades. Now that I live in Missouri, I enjoy watching the local St. Louis parade (the Giant Schnucks cart is a must see). But the Macy’s Parade (even with all of the bad Broadway musical numbers and amazing array of C-List stars on the floats) will always have a place in my heart.
*Miracle on 34th Street.
dual personalities 
That Thanksgiving on the UWS was a highlight for me, too! Remember the guy taking photos on his iPad? This puts me in the mood for Miracle on 34th Street for sure!
Wonderful post! I love both the parade and the movie, and I’m also very grateful that you’ve joined the blog!
I didn’t even check this morning because I didn’t think we’d have another post so soon. What a delightful surprise! Thanks, Mary!
Well done, #1! And great pics to boot!