If it’s your birthday
Special alert! SAM
Starting on Saturday August 19, drivers from Long Island and those coming down the Whitestone Expressway via the westbound Grand Central Parkway (GCP) to the airport should use Exit 7 only if they wish to access Delta Terminals C or D; you won’t be able to get to 94th Street or Terminal B from this exit. The new Exit 6, a half mile west, will provide direct access to Terminal B and 94th Street.
At Citi Field, the Mets will take on the Marlins at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
Prepare for Sixth Ave. delays as Dave Chappelle takes the stage at 8 p.m. on Friday (with Trevor Noah), Saturday (with Childish Gambino), and Sunday (with Lauryn Hill) at Radio City Music Hall.
From 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., Summer Streets will close seven miles of streets to cars, and opening them to pedestrians. Closures will begin on Centre St. at the Brooklyn Bridge, continuing up Lafayette St., then Fourth Avenue, and finally Park Avenue, ending at 72nd St. Hardest hit will be the Brooklyn Bridge Centre St. Exit; Canal and Houston Sts.; below 23rd St., Third and Fifth Aves., and above 23rd, Madison and Lexington Aves.
From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., the Great Irish Festival will shut down Sixth Avenue between 42nd and 59th Sts.
From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., the Greenpoint Avenue Festival in Queens will close Greenpoint Ave. between 42nd and 48th Sts.
The India Day Parade and Festival, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., will take over Madison Ave. between 38th and 23rd Sts., and cross streets between Fifth and Park Aves. Expect backups on northbound Park Ave., and impacts at the 35th St. entrance to the QueensMidtown Tunnel.
Times Square Springfest, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., will close Broadway between 47th and 57th Sts.
From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce Second Avenue Festival will close Second Ave. between 72nd and 86th Sts.
In Williamsburg, Brooklyn Mile, from 9 a.m. to noon, will shut down Kent Ave. between Clymer and N. 10th Sts. Sam Schwartz is a former city first deputy transportation commissioner. Gridlock Sam is published Friday and Sunday. If you have a traffic question, please write to: Gridlock Sam, N.Y. Daily News, 4 New York Plaza, New York, N.Y. 10004, or info@gridlocksam.com Do what so few people do in these times, which is feed your inner life. There’s a world within you that’s not visible or accessible anyplace else. You might think it’s lonely in there, though when you open up to your inner world, you’ll find that you are closer to people than you’ve ever been. There will be what feels like a moment of free-fall; then your parachute will open. You share a birthday with Robert Redford, Patrick Swayze and Andy Samberg. MARCH 21-APRIL 19 You may feel a pull between staying in familiar territory, or venturing into the unknown and unfamiliar. Use your feelings of confidence and security to allow yourself new kinds of adventures. Most of the world is obsessed with yesterday. For you, today is offering a bold invitation. APRIL 20-MAY 20 There’s something to be said for knowing where your food comes from. Most people have no idea. You’re getting messages that may indicate a revision of your lifestyle, including making a greater investment in eating well -- especially local food that you make yourself. You’ll be surprised what you learn. MAY 21-JUNE 20 You will feel wealthier if you invest your resources in what matters to you: in what will tangibly improve how you feel, how you live and how you take care of yourself. Your astrology is so strong, you might start with the most challenging or seemingly difficult elements to work with. JUNE 21-JULY 22 No factor in your life is more meaningful than the value you place on your own existence. Growing up, many influences strip away self-value and leave people feeling stranded and powerless. You’re in an excellent position to rise above the chaos and claim your rightful self-respect. JULY 23-AUG. 22 Several factors are calling you to focus on your inner life rather than on the distractions of the world. It’s just that the concept of an “inner life” is no longer well known or understood. Today, however, you’ll be able to tune into your feelings, your desires and a world that you contain. AUG. 23-SEPT. 22 Spend your time around the people who recognize you by feeling, and who you identify by their warmth and empathy. You know some such individuals, though not everyone in your life qualifies. The kind of contact you need is the kind that brings you closer to others, and to yourself. SEPT. 23-OCT. 22 All your power, influence and success must be directed at taking care of the world. Yet this cannot be to your own detriment or at your personal expense, even though you must put your heart and soul into your mission. Summon others to the task. Identify other leaders and put them to work. OCT. 23-NOV. 21 Whenever you’re exercising power of any kind, it’s worth doing an ethics check. Are you doing the right thing? Have you taken account of the impact on the people in your life? Would making a decision allow you to take care of yourself properly? Consider these things and make any needed adjustments. NOV. 22-DEC. 21 You may have the feeling that a journey awaits you. That means traveling someplace you’ve never been and likely never expected to go. This will start in your mind, by considering ideas you previously had not considered, and is likely to evolve into a calling to fulfill a special mission or purpose. DEC. 22-JAN. 19 You can afford to be generous. It’s not always easy; understanding why you tend to hold back is, however, one of the deepest spiritual questions of your life. Anyway, you have plenty, and love is free, though it requires vulnerability. Get out of your own way. Feel the goodwill that surrounds you. JAN. 20-FEB. 18 Be open to what others say to you, and say about you. Yes, it’s only their perspective; it’s not necessarily the absolute truth. But there will be an element of reality in nearly every comment you hear. Listen carefully and put the information to good use. It’s come at a price. FEB. 19-MARCH 20 Balancing work and love means taking a creative approach to life. To make art in any form requires generosity. You are giving of yourself, which benefits you and everyone around you. To live artfully requires that same openhearted approach to existence, and sharing your abundance.