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Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, New York City, thanksgiving,

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City

To see more photos from the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, browse the location pages for Columbus Circle, Times Square, Herald Square, and the Macy’s Parade Balloon Inflation area.

The 86th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade kicked off at 9:00AM EST this morning in Manhattan. Elaborate balloons, floats, falloons (float-based balloons) and balloonicles (self-powered balloon vehicles) snaked their way from 77th Street and Central Park West down 6th Avenue to Herald Square.

U.S. chain store Macy’s started the tradition in 1924. At the time, many of the department store’s employees were first-generation immigrants who were proud of their new American heritage and wanted to celebrate Thanksgiving with a festival similar to ones their parents had loved in Europe. At the end of that first parade, as has been the case with every parade since, Santa Claus arrives in Herald Square to ring in Christmas and the holiday season.

Photoset

september 11, photo feature, new york city,

One World Trade Center

A reflective 104-story skyscraper known as One World Trade Center is rising amid New York City’s skyline where the iconic Twin Towers of the World Trace Center once stood.

The building—which became New York’s tallest in April—sits adjacent to the site of the towers that were destroyed in a terrorist attack 11 years ago today, on September 11, 2001. The exact footprints of the Twin Towers have been memorialized by two reflecting pools with cascading waterfalls, and walls inscribed with the names of those who were lost in the attacks.

The photographs featured above were taken by members of the crew building the new World Trade Center, which is expected to be completed in late 2013.