••• “Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Monday he believes the 9/11 sphere should remain in Battery Park.” —DNAinfo

••• “Still no news on where the Port Authority plans to move the WTC Sphere but according to the Staten Island Advance, Staten Island Borough President James. P. Molinaro is lobbying for WTC Sphere to be moved to Staten Island Sept. 11 Memorial.” —Tribeca Trib

••• “After months of delays and millions of dollars in cost overruns, workers are making progress on repairing the landmarked 126-year-old [Pier A] at Lower Manhattan’s tip and will finish by the end of the year, Gayle Horwitz, president of the Battery Park City Authority, said Monday. The authority will then turn the pier over to a team of developers, including the Poulakakos family, to open an $18 million oyster bar and catering hall there. The new three-story bar and restaurant, along with a tourist information center and a new public plaza, is scheduled to open in the summer or early fall of 2013.” —DNAinfo

••• VE Equities will break ground soon on 11 N. Moore (at Varick), first written about here. “The company has once again tapped Prudential Douglas Elliman’s Eklund Gomes team, headed by Fredrik Eklund and John Gomes.” —The Real Deal

••• “The high-spending husband of beautiful socialite Annie Churchill was hauled off to jail this morning for stealing $590,000 from three of her rich investor pals via his bogus ‘virtual reality shopping mall’ Web site. Andrew Albert, 50, conned his wife’s pals for cash back in 2008, then spent the next two years blowing the money on fancy meals, clothes and renovations for the couple’s new Tribeca loft.” —New York Post

••• “Operation Sail is coming back to New York City this morning to commemorate the oft-forgotten War of 1812, which Henry Adams considered America’s second revolution. The bicentennial of the war will be marked by free boat tours and two parades: The Parade of Sail features an international array of 17 tall ships, and the Military Parade of Sail includes ten warships, plus military aircraft.” —Broadsheet

••• “Facing orders from the Department of Education, [P.S. 276] Principal Terri Ruyter will open a fifth kindergarten class that all but eliminates the kindergarten waitlist but creates future crowding concerns. ” —Tribeca Trib

Lotus Blue's banana blossom and mango salad tasted especially good on such a warm day. (Alas, the sun was so bright I couldn't tell that the photo was out of focus.)

The Marc Forgione team hard at work plating a tasty fluke dish.

Bruce Cost Ginger Ale—made with fresh ginger and unfiltered—hit the spot. The staffer said it's available at Whole Foods; I may have to pick some up.

One attendee planning her attack.

Landmarc's pretty beet salad.

It was definitely the Year of the Meatball. A standout: Terroir Tribeca's meatball sandwich. (I need to know where the bread is from.) And it was a far better value than Locanda Verde's otherwise worthy single duck meatball. UPDATE: The bread is stecca from Sullivan Street Bakery.

Cosmopolitan Café's creperie was one of the busiest stalls.

Hi, Rocco of ROC!

Mehtaphor won style and practicality points for serving its dumplings in takeout containers.

Paul Shapiro's Ribs and Brisket Revue (sponsored by City Winery) was really good.

I kept running into this dog, who doesn't need to have dinner tonight (based on the amount of hoovering I saw him do.)

Hi, Rachel from Tribeca Treats!

I heard at least three people raving about Bouley's dessert.

Here’s looking forward to next year’s event! I already have a resolution ready: Not to get so excited to dig in that I forget to grab a napkin. It happened time after time….

MAY 23–SEPTEMBER 4
“The Clocktower Gallery presents Nervescape, a site-specific exhibition by Icelandic artist Hrafnhildur Arnardóttir aka Shoplifter, on view to the public from May 23 to September 4, 2012. Shoplifter’s sculptures, drawings and installations explore themes of vanity, beauty, and beastly mythology, as well as notions of obsession and fetish. In the Clocktower’s Upper Gallery, Shoplifter makes use of a large existing metal structure as the skeleton for an organic, enveloping installation that is both a landscape and a beast, activating the space and engulfing the viewer in its cavernous entrails.”

THROUGH LABOR DAY
“On the heels of its successful Made in New York exhibition, the South Street Seaport Museum will open Made in New York II on May 16. Like its predecessor, the new exhibition will highlight contemporary counterparts to the productive industries that once populated the Seaport district.”

JUNE 3
“On Sunday, June 3 at 2:45 p.m., a special screening of Agnieszka Holland’s Oscar nominated Best Foreign Language Film, In Darkness (Poland, 2011, 114 min.), will take place at the Museum of Jewish Heritage—A Living Memorial to the Holocaust. A discussion with Krystyna Chiger Keren, the last living member of the group dramatized in the film, will follow the screening.”

JUNE 8–JULY 7
“Hionas Gallery is pleased to present Microphone Check, a multi-media exhibition comprised of new sculpture, mixed media collage, and abstract paintings by Karlos Cárcamo. For this show the artist introduces the union of seemingly disparate forms, joining hard edge painting and graffiti tagging, sculptures that mimic the gestural three-dimensional movement of spray paint, and the constructed nature of city landscapes vs. hard edge abstraction.”

JUNE 9–17
The ARChive of Contemporary Music‘s Surfin’ Summer Record & CD sale is at 54 White St. every day from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

AUGUST 5–6
Cowboy Junkies play City Winery. I bought my tickets already. Last time, I sat next to a woman who insisted on talking during my favorite song—even after I told her it was my favorite song! (This is the song; the fan-made Sims video is priceless.)

AUGUST 8, 21, 29; SEPTEMBER 5
Joan Osborne plays City Winery.

AUGUST 25–26
Taj Mahal play City Winery.

••• I remember how bummed I was when I realized I had lost the ability (and/or body type) to Hula Hoop—and Torly Kid’s video brings it all back.

••• Left: Another peek at Jean, the café/wine bar coming to W. Broadway between Warren and Murray, courtesy @MMDevoe.

••• An update from the Lilac Preservation Project: “The barque Picton Castle of Lunenberg, Nova Scotia is arriving at Pier 25 today and will visit through the weekend.  She will moor at the outermost berth on the north side of the pier. Arrival time is approximately 10 a.m.  I’m sorry about the late notice, but I wasn’t able to confirm her arrival until yesterday. Also, the Waterfront Museum on the barge Lehigh Valley #79 will be leaving Pier 25 today about 2 p.m. after 10 days of public events. The tug Pegasus will tow her back to Red Hook, Brooklyn and then return to her new home at Pier 25.”

••• There will be a free opera performance in Washington Market Park, sponsored by Downtown Symphony, Sunday at 3 p.m.

••• There’s a Burger King on Canal, near Broadway. You can tell how enthusiastic I am about this by the fact that I wouldn’t cross the street to take a photo. Anyway, I think it’s new.

••• The burger joint coming to Canal has opened: It’s called Black Burger. Look, there’s already a Yelp review! “I’ll preface this by saying that I understand that they just opened this week”—the “Coming Soon” sign is a bit confusing—”and they’re probably working some things out, but my lunch at Black Burger yesterday afternoon was one of the most disappointing, frustrating dining experiences I’ve had in a while. [...] When I finally got my food it was completely inedible: the burger patty was burned and tough, the tomato was either rotten or had frozen and thawed out, the onion was past it’s prime and the bun had was soggy and completely fell apart when I picked it up.”

••• The next Tribeca Meet & Greet—organized by BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center—will be Thursday, May 24 (6:30–9 p.m.) at ARC Athletics: “Anyone with an interest in Lower Manhattan is welcome to attend. Frankly Wines will provide libations and MaxDelivery will be donating wonderful nibblybits.

••• “Boardwalk Empire” is filming on Warren (near Broadway) this Friday. I think it was Friday. I forgot to take a photo. I’ll check in a bit…

••• If the Rangers win the Stanley Cup, they get a parade, right? I can only imagine what that looks like.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

THROUGH JUNE 2
“Is Schuster returns to her digital roots in her current exhibit, Manifestations, on display at One Art Space in Tribeca from May 11th through June 2nd. Each colorful canvas features vibrant, complex and glowing elaborations of ancient symbols, calling forth living energies and invoking powerful manifestations of humanity’s deepest hopes and dreams. A member of MIT’s pioneering Architecture Machine Group in the 1970’s, Is Schuster was the first artist to exhibit digital art in New York City.”

THROUGH JUNE 13
Eckart Hahn’s “Ancient Light” at Pablo’s Birthday.

MAY 16–JUNE 3
FB Gallery is proud to present Prince Michael’s Neverland: The Measure of an Artist. Michael Anthony Pegues, a fixture of the downtown art scene and true NY icon has finally found a home at FB gallery to present his vision. His constant quest for recognition, almost an obsession, has led him to constantly produce artworks where his image takes center stage.

MAY 17–JUNE 23
“Kansas is pleased to present Incidental Western, a solo exhibition of new work by Michael Berryhill. Michael Berryhill’s studio practice is an intensive exploration of temporal production and the impossibility of painting. His recent paintings, sculptures and works on paper are informed by accident and recovery; an attempt to invent his way into meaningful mystery.”

MAY 18–19
“Apexart invites visitors to exchange pictures from their lives with selections from the photo archive of Brooklyn artist Kambui Olujimi. Come with an image of any size, medium, style, and subject and leave with a photo of your choice. For those unable to bring pictures to the event, there will be limited facilities for on-site printing. A Life in Pictures blurs the lines of biographical authorship in a world moving towards dematerializing means of communication, allowing guests to interject moments from their own lives into this larger life in pictures. Saturday 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Parents, give your kids their first exhibition opportunity! Bring your kids and family photos to contribute to the photo archive.”

JUNE 2
Chely Wright at City Winery.

JUNE 15–17
Mark Nizer’s Expect the Impossible at Canal Park Playhouse: “Outrageous comedy antics and wild juggling adventures are in store for Canal Park Playhouse! Using lasers, robots, and extreme 3D juggling, Mark Nizer transforms impossible feats into an awe-inspiring theatrical event. Mark Nizer astounds audiences with his show-stopping tricks mixed with cutting edge technology. 3D glasses will be available.”

JULY 11–13
“Woodyfest” concerts of Woody Guthrie songs at City Winery, with performers such as Billy Bragg, Tim Robbins, and Rachael Yamagata.

AUGUST 9
The BoDeans at City Winery.

••• The River to River Festival announced this year’s schedule. Among the highlights: Philip Glass, George Clinton and P-Funk, Trisha Brown Dance Company, and Eddie Palmieri.

••• The Maslow 6 Wine Bar is opening soon: It just announced a tasting party preview on May 18: “Taste seven fabulous Burgundies, and two amazing Grower Champagnes, with the remarkable Peter Wasserman. Grand Cru Chablis. Aloxe Corton. Chambolle-Musigny. Beaune Les Bressandes Premier Cru. This will be an evening full of wines you just don’t get to taste every day. And you get to be one of the first to experience the NEW Maslow 6 Wine Bar. So you can put that knowledge to immedate and direct use, you are invited to hang out afterwards and enjoy a glass of Burgundy paired with small bites from Chef Nick Kipper. [...] Please register at maslow6.com or email events@maslow6.com.” It’s $50.

••• Meanwhile, regarding the other new wine bar coming to Tribeca: “I had a meeting with the neighbors last week and it was really nice to know my new neighbors,” emails Paolo Meregalli, who wants to open a restaurant and wine bar called Mulino a Vino at 279 Church. “I’m doing my best and I understand that they have been burnt in the past but I’m a new tenant, with a new landlord and a good project. I also organized an ‘open day’ at 279 Church to introduce myself to the neighbors and explain my project. I collected several signatures.” It’s on the agenda for Wednesday’s CB1 Tribeca Committee meeting.

••• This rolled in via Twitter: “Nail Tite is a crazy sexy cool high concept nail art service inspired by art, fashion, music, and pop culture that envisions the fingernail as a canvas. Nail Tite specializes in providing painted nail art, 3D pieces, and next level nail innovations, giving today’s nail polish lovers an endless menu of possibilities to wear. On 5/23 Nail Tite will launch its premiere nail color series NailTone and release two very special shades in partnership with frank white STUFF product collaboration project. Choose your favorite Nail Tite inspiration and register for a complimentary nail art session between 1 – 6 p.m. Space on White: 81 White Street. All nail art sessions will be photo documented and added to our live Nail Tite gallery which will be exhibited during the reception 6-8 p.m.” I’m half-tempted to register.

••• A Matter of Taste, the documentary about Corton chef Paul Liebrandt, won a James Beard Award.

••• New restaurant Woodrow’s is now offering delivery, via phone or Seamless.

••• Just Scandinavian is in the final phase of its escalating closing sale. I bought some awesome dessert plates today. (You know you’re old when….)

••• Real estate broker Ryan Serhant (of the “Million Dollar Listing” TV show) tweeted “It’s a done deal! My new office in Tribeca. 3 years in the business and I’ve got my own office!” I can’t quite place the location. Collister? (Wait, was he the guy getting photographed there this morning?) Someone please advise.

••• Passing this email along: “As a Writer for Bronx Mama I wanted to bring your attention to a rally that will take place at Zuccotti park this Wednesday and Thursday May 9-10 between 8 a.m. & 1 p.m. This rally is an action of All Our Power, a social movement that is bridging the gap between the 99% and the 1%! All Our Power brings a solution to the critical issues raised by the Occupy Wall Street movement. We will utilize the leverage of the user base to negotiate with the largest companies in every sector (from cell phones to health insurance and groceries) to lower pricing.”

••• And the Sign of the Week award goes to… New York Vintners!

••• From New Amsterdam Market: “Please hold the date of Tuesday, May 15, when I will be presenting our proposal to house New Amsterdam Market year-round within the old Fulton Fish Market buildings to the Seaport and Civic Center Committee of Manhattan Community Board One. [...] Your presence at this important meeting will be tremendously helpful towards supporting our shared vision for the Seaport. Please spread the word to your lists, come if you can, and please let us know by sending a note to: rsvp@newamsterdammarket.org.”

••• A tweet from @MMDevoe about the new restaurant (and soda fountain!) on Peck Slip: “Grandma’s looked near opening—cute decor, reminded me of Cosmopolitan Café or Kitchenette.”

••• Kanye West has a new song called “I Don’t Like” that includes this line performed by Pusha T: “Soho, Tribeca / Three hos, trifecta.” (I don’t think the plural of ho is hoes, like the garden tool…?) Anyway, people on Twitter think it’s hysterical and/or clever. You can hear it here; not work appropriate. UPDATE: A spelling that never occurred to me.

••• And another reader (who wants to remain anonymous) sent in this video of model Karolina Kurkova from the Limited shoot the other day. It’s not exactly newsworthy, but (a) there’s a fabulous absurdity about how she’s vamping along Franklin Street while life goes on around her; and (b) I love the funky warm-up stretch (:10–:15). Can someone please make me a gif of that, looped over and over?

THROUGH JUNE 2

MAY 6
“Clocktower Gallery opens for a rare Sunday night special with galleries, studios, long term exhibits, tower, radio and special performances on view. 6-9 pm. Free. RSVP. events@artonair.org. Bring a photo ID. 108 Leonard Street at Broadway, 13th Floor. [...] End the night at an afterparty at Santos Party House just down the block. This whole effort is produced as part of Frieze New York: Downtown Night.” Afterparty is one of those words that doesn’t thrill me quite the way it used to….

MAY 6
“The Vendy Awards and New Amsterdam Market present New York’s very first sustainable street meat event. Join us as we invite five of the Vendy’s most beloved vendors—Solber Pupusas, Guadalupe’s Tamales, Eggstravaganza, A-Pou’s Taste and Veronica’s Kitchen—to use humanely raised meats and other regionally sourced ingredients to reproduce their most iconic dishes. Purchase your ticket in advance to guarantee a hefty tasting portion from each of the five vendors. Early Bird ticket holders will get a head start on the crowd, beginning at 11:30 a.m. The regular market will take place from 11 a.m. through 4 p.m. Also on Sunday: the first monthly visit from the Bent Spoon.”

MAY 8–JUNE 16
“Enshrouded,” work by Lin Yan at Cheryl McGinnis Gallery (opening reception May 16, 5–8 p.m.)

MAY 12
Celebrate spring with Friends of Duane Park and Friends of Bogardus Garden, with petting zoo, planting, Brazilian music, stilt-walkers, cookie decorating, and more. 10 a.m.–noon.

MAY 15–24
At Bogardus Mansion: “The exhibition titled ‘Untamed’ marks the New York solo debut for artist Suzanne LaFleur. On view for the first time will be 13 new artworks that include large-scale oil paintings along with pastel drawings.”

MAY 15–26
“The New York Academy of Art presents the 2012 MFA Thesis Exhibition, a group show featuring original paintings, drawings, sculpture, and prints by more than 50 talented emerging artists.”

MAY 16
At Duane Park restaurant: “Join Dandy Wellington and His Band at 8:30 p.m. as they bring you a full serving of well-dressed Jazz from the 1930’s and 40’s in Manhattan Serenade. A native of Harlem, Dandy Wellington has assembled a catalog of music that invokes an atmosphere of class. Burlesque performances by Peekaboo Pointe and Stormy Leather.”

MAY 23
At Duane Park restaurant: “‘What’s Going On,’ an evening of music inspired by the sounds of Motown. Host Aaron Marcellus got his musical start at age three singing in talent shows at his local nursery school. He grew up in a musical family rooted in the traditional black gospel church where he attributes his soulful sound. Aaron is also a contestant in this season’s ‘American Idol’ and an accomplished tap dancer. Burlesque performances by Essence Revealed and Peekaboo Pointe and a tap dance by Aaron.”

MAY 24–JULY 5
“Masters & Pelavin is proud to present ‘Silence,’ a group exhibition of international artists, curated by Estonian artist and curator Jaanika Peerna. A variety of media will be shown—video, sculpture, painting, photography and installation—a number of artists represented, including: Peter Baumann, Anne Lindberg, Janine Magelsen, Kazumi Tanaka, Thomas Fougeirol, Kaido Ole, Jaan Toomik, Jaanika Peerna and Krista Mölder.”

JULY 29–30
Ladysmith Black Mambazo play City Winery.