The Second Avenue Subway is officially open

The Second Avenue Subway
The Second Avenue Subway

It was expensive. It was delayed. But now, it is here. Last night, the Second Avenue Subway held a New Year’s Eve opening party with lights, retro tunes and revelers.

But NYE merrymakers weren’t the only ones celebrating. Local businesses are welcoming commuters with open arms.

“I’m ready to make a living again!” barber Emin Cekic, whose Second Avenue shop near the 72nd Street subway entrance, told the New York Post. “It’s been really terrible for eight years,” he added, referring to the construction.

Sheila Xie, said the dirty awning of her shop, Wo’s Custom Tailoring on 72 Street, is proof of how hard the construction was on business.

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“Since the street has been cleared, there’s already more customers coming in,” she said.

Check out the celebration below: