Second Avenue subway open house

With just 9 days to go until the promised opening of the Second Avenue subway, New Yorkers got their first look inside the 96 Street Station; one some thought might never be complete. Earlier in the day, Gov. Andrew Cuomo gave the media a tour of the 86 Street Station.

From the high ceilings and wide open space, to the stainless steel benches and stunning mosaics from famed New York City artist Chuck Close, the station has a decidedly un-subway feel, which was the point, according to lead contractor Massimo Viti.

The new stations look completely different, but engineers say they will feel and sound better because of special technology on tracks. It will be a quieter ride.

Thousands of workers are putting the finishing touches on the 3 new stations. Cuomo is sticking to his promise trains will run on January 1, 2017.

As for progress above ground, the governor says residents and merchants can expect a basic return to normalcy in early January.

But as for Phase 2 of the project, which would extend the train to 125 Street, the timing for that is anyone's guess.