The Loopy Doopy is on the 16th floor, just down a bland hallway and through a door. When I was trying to gauge how large the bar area is, my first thought was that it’s about the size of a floor at Tiny’s—although it may be a little bigger. The furnishings are nondescript but the views are fantastic, and of course nothing beats being outside. The crowd was very much post-work; I’m seeing it as a lovely place to go on a Sunday evening, if it’s open then. On weekdays, weather permitting, it’s open from 5 p.m. till midnight.

Tip #1: Bring sunglasses, because the sun beats down on the bar. Tip #2: There was only one bartender when I was there, and if that happens to you, order something simple (like a gin and tonic) and maybe she’ll make it before the large orders from the specialty cocktail menu (click to enlarge). Beer is available, although I believe the one tap is for Prosecco. Tip #3: Don’t waste your time trying to find a button for the elevator. I asked a staffer when I was back downstairs, and he said it was a design flaw they’re working on fixing. If the wrong elevator comes, he said, just send it away.

UPDATE: A reader just sent this in!

It’s certainly in a convenient location: Soho to the north, Chinatown to the east, Tribeca to the west.

The hotel will turn part of its small lobby into a bar for guests—there are no other public spaces—with a front desk coming near the door. There are also iPad check-in kiosks. The goal is to promote local venues, so there’s a chalkboard where staff and guests can make recommendations. (Here’s hoping they branch out beyond Atomic Wings.) And while many of us find Canal Street less than a treat, I enjoyed watching the action from within the calm lobby.

I was told that rates are $250–$350, and they’re already sold out next week. I first saw a standard room. It’s tiny—I took the photo from the hallway—but tall ceilings and tall windows make up for a lot. (Even the bathrooms have windows.) Some rooms get access to a fire escape, although the hotel understandably discourages guests from using it. Rooms come with iHome thingamajigs and free Internet.

Then I saw an executive king room on the western side. Such views!

Recent New Kid on the Block/First Impressions articles:
• Josh Bach
• Harry’s Italian
• Atera
• 2Spaghi
• HomBom Toys
• Accents
• Matt Bernson
• Bloom
• Kaffe 1668
• Potbelly Sandwich Shop
• Woodrow’s

The Lower Manhattan Construction Command Center, possibly but not likely at my behest, recently published a list of forthcoming hotels in Lower Manhattan. Looking at it can make you feel like you’re looking at a list of hotels in Philadelphia: Platt Street? Fletcher Street? So I made a Google Map.

••• Blue markers: Hotels currently under construction.
••• Red markers: Hotels that are about to begin construction.
••• Yellow markers: Hotels that are either on hold or that haven’t announced construction plans yet.
••• Green markers: Hotels that have opened in recent years.

Of course, there are many more hotels—left unmapped—that have been around for years. (The accompanying text is mainly from the LMCCC, though I edited it a bit.)

The LMCCC focuses on the economic upside to all these hotels, and it’s hard to argue that empty buildings and vacant lots would be preferable (although some of the new buildings are undeniably cheap-looking). But my question is whether the sense of community suffers as a result.

Note: If you click the “View in a Larger Map” link you’ll see all the hotels listed alongside the map.

••• Just a reminder that the New Amsterdam Market starts up again this Sunday.

••• I was just hoping out loud that someone would do a map of all the Lower Manhattan hotels in the works, and Lower Manhattan Construction Command Center heeded the call. Well, sort of: It’s a list, not a map, and Tribeca Blu isn’t on there, but still. Maybe I’ll get around to making a Google map.

••• Gorgeous photos of this morning’s space shuttle flyover from Albert Lee, Lindsay Wenner, and Bob Pasker respectively (click to enlarge). I don’t get patriotic chills very often….

The last one is (c) Bob Pasker, 2012.

••• The uptown Kaffe 1668 is now serving lunch (primarily sandwiches and soups).

••• Downtown Florist (on Church between Warren and Murray) is indeed moving around the corner, next to Takahachi Bakery on Murray.

••• Business guru Seth Godin will be at the BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center on May 16.

••• Details about the Public Art Fund‘s next exhibit at City Hall Park have been announced. It’s called “Common Ground” (May 24–Nov. 30) and here’s the description: “Traditional public monuments and statues had a clear civic purpose, many having been commissioned to commemorate an important event, notable individual, or significant group. The artists featured in this show—Elmgreen & Dragset, Ian Hamilton Finlay, Roger Hiorns, Jenny Holzer, Matthew Day Jackson, Justin Matherly, Paul McCarthy, Amalia Pica, and Thomas Schütte—have taken this tradition of civic sculpture and expanded upon it.”

••• From the Downtown Alliance: “Battery Park City Parks Conservancy starts removing lawn fencing this week. Lawns should be open by Wednesday.”

••• The name of the fitness facility coming to the northern half of the Truffles Tribeca storefront is Superstar Gym. Which might be this? (The southern half will be a Fika café.)

••• A New York Times article about New York Ranger Brad Richards says that his teammate, defenseman Michael Del Zotto, also lives in Tribeca.

••• Then again, the New York Times also said that Matt Bernson opened his new store “at the same Tribeca location that has housed his design studio for six years,” which would certainly be news to Capucine.

••• “Community Board 1 got an infusion of fresh talent in April. As part of the panel’s annual appointment cycle, three new members joined the board: Adam Malitz, Tammy Meltzer and Linda Gertsman will replace Tiffany Winbush and Peter Glazer, who were not reappointed, and Elizabeth (Liz) Williams who decided not to reapply.” —Broadsheet

••• “One World Trade Center has a logo.” —Wall Street Journal

••• “Hidrock Realty, a New York developer, bought a vacant lot near the World Trade Center site in lower Manhattan where it plans to build a 300-room hotel. The property at 133 Greenwich St. was purchased in a joint venture with Robert Finvarb Cos. for $27.9 million [...]. The partners plan to spend an additional $70 million to develop the 28-story hotel, which is slated to open in 2015.” Maybe Downtown Alliance will do a map showing all the hotels in the works. Because it’s out of control. —New York Post

••• Someone left a “novelty grenade” at the World Financial Center, which was evacuated as a result. —@Breaking911. UPDATE from DNAinfo: “Police determined that the suspicious device was a grenade-like novelty item mounted on a plaque with a sign: ‘Complaint Dept. Pull Pin,’ the NYPD said on Twitter.”

••• Look who gave the Daily News a tour of the neighborhood! (Photo by Jefferson Siegel for the New York Daily News.)

••• “Rabbit Rescue & Rehab has been holding free rabbit speed-dating sessions for 20 years. Experts say while spending time with their owners is great, rabbits crave companionship from their own kind. ‘I met many rabbit owners who assured me that while life with one rabbit is wonderful, life with more than one is even better,’ says Tribeca resident Natalie Reeves, who brought her adopted bunny Mopsy to an event to meet a mate.” —New York Post

••• Tribeca Tower, New York by Gehry, and 1 Rector Park are among the buildings that have libraries (although in some cases it’s just a quiet space with a bunch of Assouline books). —New York Times

••• “Sociologist and photographer Cathy Greenblat has been taking pictures of people with dementia for a decade. Eighty of these moving images, taken around the world, are on display through April 28 at Pace University’s Schim­mel Center for the Arts.” —Tribeca Trib

••• What am I, chopped liver? Kutsher’s Tribeca let Grub Street know that the front of the restaurant is being turned into Charlie Kutsher’s Express Lunch Counter starting Tuesday. “All the soups, salads, and sandwiches on the special menu are ready in fifteen minutes or less, and the restaurant is adding some new combos like a half-soup and half-sandwich for $14. Take the food or go or stay for a quick bite in the front part of the restaurant.”

••• Headline of the day: “Feces-Tossing Protester Arrested in Courthouse Fight.” —DNAinfo

••• Also: “Trinity Church Snuffs Out Grassroots Push for Leadership.” —DNAinfo

••• “Melvin L. Schweitzer, a New York Supreme Court judge, dismissed a lawsuit brought by nine graduates of New York Law School who accused their alma mater of misleading them about their postgraduate employment prospects.” —New York Times

••• “Since 2008, residents of New York City’s Tribeca neighborhood have had one of the city’s top spas right in their midst—but have never had access to it themselves. As of this week, though, Shibui Spa, set in a spectacular subterranean space below the Greenwich Hotel, is taking reservations for those who aren’t hotel guests.”  When they invited me to write about it they didn’t mention any of that…? [Must start reading emails all the way through....]—Departures

••• Spruce Street School has a new CSA. —Broadsheet

••• Real Estate Weekly profiles Madelyn Wils, head of the Hudson River Park Trust: “The park reported an operating deficit of $10 million last year, but with Pier 40 in disrepair and other piers awaiting development—one is still in use as Department of Sanitation parking facility—the park’s need for capital investment is significant. Even without taking maintenance into consideration, Wils estimates $200 million is needed to finish the park.”

••• “A press release that just landed in the Curbed inbox offers a few more details on what’s to become of 5 Beekman Street, the decayed urban treasure that was briefly in contract to Andre Balazs before selling to a joint venture that includes the owner of the Ace Hotel. The new owner is planning a ’297-room luxury boutique hotel with 90 residences.’ It might be sacrilege to say so, but 5 Beekman with condos might be even better than 5 Beekman redone by Andre Balazs.” But then HotelChatter says it’ll be a Thompson Hotel (like the Smyth, 60 Thompson, etc.).

••• “[Jacob] Morris, head of the Harlem Historical Society, has long been fascinated by the many historical sites related to the abolition movement that are sprinkled throughout Lower Manhattan [....] To draw attention to these little-known sites, Morris is launching a campaign to link them in a ‘Freedom Trail,’ similar to the one in Boston that focuses on the Revolutionary War. ‘Tribeca was basically New York City’s Harlem before the Civil War,’ Morris said. ‘Downtown Manhattan was honeycombed with Underground Railroad locations, and there were residences and businesses of abolitionists.’” —DNAinfo

••• “The creative team at Studio MDA, apparently fans of Rubik’s Cube, recently posted a vid on YouTube showing their design process for the facade concept, giving a modern twist to the historical face planned for 137 Franklin.” Also: “There’s no word yet on pricing of the units at 137 Franklin, but potential buyers might be interested to know that the new building sits on a plot controlled by a 150-year ground lease.” —Curbed

••• The New York Times revisits the Butterfly, this time focusing on bartender Eben Freeman. “With The Butterfly, Mr. White intends to evoke the supper clubs of his native Wisconsin. (The name comes from The Butterfly Club, a restaurant Mr. White worked at in Beloit, Wis.) The regular cocktail list is still in development. But, even at this early stage, it is certain to bear a couple of Badger State touches. Mr. Freeman has been collaborating with the owners of Lakefront Brewery, a Milwaukee-based craft brewer. Their first creation, Birra Morini—a light lager made with herbs, including oregano, instead of hops—is already being poured at Mr. White’s Osteria Morini. The debut of a second brew, called Fernet Stout, will most likely coincide with the opening of The Butterfly. [...] And, of course, the menu will boast a brandy old-fashioned, the brandy spin on the classic cocktail that is peculiar to Wisconsin and all but the state’s official drink.” Gee, there’s no Wisconsin about the place at all….

••• “Closely watched talks for men’s shirtmaker law firm Chadbourne & Parke to move to 1 World Trade Center cratered yesterday, leaving followers of both downtown and the legal landscape scratching their heads.” —New York Post

••• “The ongoing battle about who is responsible for some of the construction costs at the Sept. 11 Memorial & Museum has cost subcontractors roughly $50 million, according to the head of a trade group.” —Crain’s

••• WWD has a photo of the interior of Atera.

The atrium is still in full effect, and the light fixtures called veils are said to turn very dramatic as night falls.

The restaurant, Atrio, is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The liquor license extends to the lobby, so it may turn into a post-work hotspot. The menus are here (the PDFs turn funky for me, but maybe they’ll work for you).

The rooms don’t look so different from the renderings. Love the Elizabeth Peyton artwork in the bathroom I saw.

The star of the meeting space (of which there’s more than 30,000 square feet) is the staircase by an artist whose name I didn’t catch. These photos don’t do it justice.

Just for shits and giggles, here’s an artsy photo I took through the elevator scrim.

And our photo tour is complete! You may exit into Goldman Alley….

As for the rooftop bar, named the Loopy Doopy after the Sol LeWitt mural in the lobby, it’s due to open in May. And Salvatore’s, the barber shop that Goldman Sachs carved out space for, is already open.