Roman candles, bottle rockets, fountains, snakes, sparklers, flowers — what once was an amiable childhood memory will now get you pinched by the law. Sure, some like to watch safe-and-sane firework displays high in the sky come Independence Day. But others choose to choose to take part in the melee of illegal fireworks scattered throughout the city. We won’t tell you where to buy them (oh, YOU know where to buy them), but we will tell you where you can watch from a safe distance.

Bernal Hill

Come nightfall, head to Bernal Hill to watch ne'er-do-wells launch a flurry of explosives in the neighborhoods blow. 

Outer Sunset near Java Beach

“Happens year-round,” says one reader. Interesting.

The Mission

The Mission still manages to turn it out. Walk down 24th Street and look up to find fiery (yet still very illegal) gems fly in between the old Victorians.

High on a hill in Glen Park/Sunnyside

If you’re lucky enough to have a friend in Sunnyside or Glen Park, with windows facing toward 280, you can see kernels of fire, color, and light erupt from Daly City into the sky. 

Terry Francois Boulevard along Waterfront

A friend of 7x7 explains, “Amazing free for all, always."

From up high in the Tenderloin  

Any Mission District-facing (i.e. south) tower in the TL. You’ll be able to see fireworks going off all across the skyline.

They're everywhere, really. SFPD tells us that illegal-firework mischief happens all over, "from downtown to Ocean Beach, the Marina down to Daly City the border."  The important thing to remember is this: These fireworks, though alluring and bright, can and will blow your hands off. Proceed with caution.