Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to turn out Thursday in Lower Manhattan for the New York Knicks’ inaugural ticker-tape parade celebrating the team’s first NBA championship in 53 years.
Security will be tight, with more than 10,000 NYPD officers assigned to the event, according to police officials. Viewing pens along the parade route — which spans the Canyon of Heroes on Broadway between Bowling Green and City Hall — will open at 6 a.m., four hours before the scheduled step-off.
No tickets are required to watch, but those who want to snag a spot should arrive early. Some people camped out along the route Wednesday evening, while others paid gig workers hundreds of dollars to try to hold places for them.
Commuters, be warned: The Wall Street and City Hall subway stations on the 4, 5, R and W lines will be closed starting at 4:30 a.m. and will reopen after the festivities, officials said. Other nearby stations will be open: Bowling Green, Fulton Street, Brooklyn Bridge, Chambers Street and Park Place.
Drivers, don’t bother. Parking is not allowed south of Canal Street starting at 7 p.m. Wednesday and cars will be towed if they are not removed, according to City Hall. Vehicular traffic will be prohibited south of Canal Street between the Hudson and East rivers beginning at that time. Traffic off the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan will only be able to go north on the FDR Drive.
Spectators, leave your stuff at home. Police said all attendees will be screened, no bags will be allowed and streets along the route will be closed to crossing once the parade begins. Surrounding streets could also be shut down. For a full list of access points to the route, check out the city’s website.
Other prohibited items include glass and metal bottles (plastic water bottles, however, are permitted), bats, batons, bicycles, scooters, chairs, coolers, drones, pets, strollers, umbrellas and weapons, officials said.
People who work in nearby office buildings will be allowed inside with proper identification, and the same goes for people who live in the area. Officials said there will be no dedicated restroom access for the parade.
A City Hall ceremony where the team will receive keys to the city from the mayor will take place around noon, with an anticipated performance by Alicia Keys. Tickets are required for this ceremony, everyone will be screened and no bags are allowed.
Crews on Wednesday were putting finishing touches on the stage, enveloped by large Knicks banners and a sign atop City Hall touting the championship.
Officials said the time of the parade may change if it rains heavily. As of Wednesday night, the National Weather Service’s forecast called for a chance of showers until 2 p.m. Thursday, with showers likely and thunderstorms possible after that. The high will be around 87 degrees, with gusts up to 31 mph.
The Knicks clinched the NBA title in Game 5 of the Finals last Saturday, sending fans into a frenzy across the city. Even though the team previously won the championship in the 1970s, there was no ticker-tape parade at the time as then-Mayor John Lindsay discontinued the practice in favor of more informal receptions.
The City Reporter will have journalists on the ground for the duration of Thursday’s parade and City Hall ceremony. We’ll update this post as more comes in.
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