NEW YORK — Plenty of Americans will enjoy a lazy summer day on July Fourth at the beach or a backyard barbecue. But if you prefer an urban setting for your holiday celebration, here are eight cities recommended by ProfessionalTravelGuide.com as the best places for fireworks and other festivities.

New York City hosts a massive fireworks display on the East River. The FDR Drive, a highway along the water, is closed to cars so pedestrians can get a riverfront view of the show.

In Washington, a parade takes place during the day along Constitution Avenue, and at night, folks gather on the National Mall to watch the fireworks.

In Las Vegas, casinos host their own fireworks displays, along with concerts and other events and festivities.

Boston is known for its annual concert, the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular, held on the banks of the Charles River, with fireworks after.

Philadelphia's celebration includes a Latin Fiesta on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, July 3, 2-8:30 p.m.; a Philly Pops concert the evening of July 3 at Independence Hall, which this year will include the real-life wedding of two actors who play Ben Franklin and Betsy Ross at historic reenactments; a July 4 afternoon parade on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, followed by a concert and fireworks; and another round of fireworks July 5.

In Missouri, the Fair Saint Louis/Celebrate St. Louis Fourth of July event is one of the largest in the Midwest. The backdrop for the city's fireworks couldn't be finer: the Mississippi River and the famed Gateway Arch. The event kicks off five weekends of entertainment, including a July 25 concert by The Black Crowes and an Aug. 1 appearance by Boyz II Men.

The Mississippi is also at the center of New Orleans' Independence Day, with its Go 4th on the River celebration in which dueling barges shoot off fireworks on the water while visitors watch from the Riverwalk Marketplace and other vantage points.

Houston expects 100,000 people at Eleanor Tinsley Park along the Buffalo Bayou to watch the fireworks and listen to several hours of live entertainment.

The ProfessionalTravelGuide.com Web site has details about each destination and recommendations for places to stay at www.professionaltravelguide.com/Fourth-Fireworks.