Jabin Botsford/The New York Times Some tunnel closures bring pleasure. Others, not so much.Over the weekend, the Park Avenue car tunnel opened to pedestrians for the first time in its history as part of a temporary art installation that entranced visitors.
Elsewhere underground, starting on Monday, commuters on the R train will find the tunnel connecting Brooklyn and Manhattan closed for repairs until about October 2014.
The response to this closure may be less enthusiastic.
The R is now split in two â€" the Brooklyn segment and the segment running between Lower Manhattan and Queens.
Those seeking to cross the East River on the R on weekdays should switch to the 2, 3, 4, 5, A or C.
Alternatively, there is now ferry service from 58th Street in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, to Lower and Midtown Manhattan.
A bit of a hike from the 59th Street R station, and an extra $2 each way, but it should be a nice day for a walk and a boat ride.
About the Park Avenue tunnel trip: As you walk through, voices of pedestrians turn into waves of sound and light. The ribs of light make the tunnel resemble the inside of a whale.
“Kinda like being in the Batcave, weird sounds, funny sounds, some unclear sounds, but nice lighting!!†one explorer, Dominic Buchanan, wrote on Twitter.
If you missed it, “Voice Tunnel,†part of the city’s Summer Streets program, runs again on Aug. 10 and Aug. 17.
Here’s what else you need to know to start your Monday.
WEATHER
Another sparklingly un-hot day, with the high perhaps not reaching 80. You’re welcome.
TRANSIT & TRAFFIC
- Mass Transit . [5:57] Delays on the D, N and R trains Click for current status
- Roads [5:55] O.K. so far. Click for current status.
Alternate-side parking: in effect Monday and Tuesday but not the rest of the week (happy Id al-Fitr).
COMING UP TODAY
- Supporters of John C. Liu, the city comptroller and mayoral candidate, rally at 9 a.m. outside the offices of the city Campaign Finance Board, which is voting on whether to deny funds to his campaign.
- Other mayoral candidates: William C. Thompson Jr. goes to a yeshiva in Far Rockaway, Queens. Bill de Blasio visits a technology company in Brooklyn. Joseph J. Lhota starts a “citywide small business†tour in College Point, Queens. Anthony D. Weiner releases his second “ideas book†in Queens.
- Time Warner customers probably won’t be able to watch “Under the Dome†tonight. The standoff between the cable company and CBS could last 10 days to six weeks, analysts say. [New York Times]
- A dog run, esplanade and lawn areas open at Hudson River Park in TriBeCa. Bonnie and Clyde, the yellow Labradors who reside in Gracie Mansion but whom the mayor doesn’t especially care for, will join the festivities.
- Outdoor movie fans have many choices: “The Avengers†in Coney Island, “Despicable Me†in Astoria Park, Sally Field in “Norma Rae†at Bryant Park. [All around sunset, and free]
- It’s Caribbean Night at the Martin Luther King Jr. Concert Series, 7:30 p.m. at Wingate Field in Brooklyn. [Free]
- The literature series at Brooklyn Bridge Park continues at 7 p.m. with “5 Borough Blues.†Each borough will be represented by a writer, including Colson Whitehead for Manhattan and Victor LaValle for Queens. [Free]
- The Zany Umbrella Circus â€" unicycles, juggling and more- performs at Willowbrook Park in Staten Island at 10:30 a.m. [Free]
IN THE NEWS
- A rookie officer fatally shot an armed 14-year-old boy who was chasing someone down a street in the Bronx, the police say. [New York Times]
- A pregnant woman was killed when a 60-foot-tall tree fell on her in a park in Queens. [New York Post]
- More than three million cubic yards of sand will be dumped onto Rockaway Beach starting this week to help protect it from storms. [Newsday]
- Yanks lose (Padres, 6-3), Mets lose (Royals, 6-2), A-Rod is expected to play while appealing suspension. [New York Times]
Michaelle Bond and E.C. Gogolak contributed reporting.
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