From the minute cable news networks called Joe Biden the projected winner of the 2020 election, New York City awoke with the sounds of car horns and champagne bottles celebrating the Democrat's victory over President Trump.
For hours, thousands of New Yorkers - too many to count - flooded streets, crowded in parks and around major landmarks, and collected on neighborhood corners to experience a collective celebration after a tense election.
The sounds were almost immediate: car horns, screams, applause, airhorns and the banging of pots and pans. As crowds grew in size into the afternoon hours, chants were heard both in favor of President-Elect Biden and in opposition of President Trump.
Hundreds packed large public spaces, like Times Square, Grand Army Plaza, Columbus Circle and Washington Square Park. But overwhelming numbers also celebrated the news by flooding out on neighborhood streets.
In several crowds, including one gathered near Brooklyn's Fort Greene Park, champagne bottles were popped to commemorate the highly-anticipated election results. Filmmaker Spike Lee surprised the Fort Greene crowd and popped a bottle of champagne himself.
New York metro-area lawmakers, including Mayor Bill de Blasio and Gov. Andrew Cuomo, released messages of congratulations and support for the president- and vice president-elect. Senator Chuck Schumer was spotted outside Barclays Center in Brooklyn alongside several hundred in the midst of ongoing cheers.
