Much of this will seem like old news because I’m making up for being on vacation last week…. In no particular order:

• Lens, the New York Times blog about “photography, video, and visual journalism,” showcased the gorgeous work of Donna Ferrato, who has lived and worked in Tribeca for more than 12 years. A wall in her loft, with a painting she found there, “has also been the inspiration for her current series, ‘10013,’ an exploration of the TriBeCa neighborhood in Lower Manhattan.” To see the slideshow, and you should, go here. Check out her website, too (click her name above), where her photographs are for sale.

• Showtime took over two penthouses at the Tribeca Summit condominium for a showhouse in which designers decorated rooms in homage to the cable channel’s shows (Dexter, Californication, etc.); the promotion is sponsored by Metropolitan Home. “Witty and inventive, it’s proof that designers do indeed have a sense of humor, though it’s helpful to know the shows,” said the New York Times. Benefiting Housing Works, the showhouse is open weekends, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m, through Oct. 18. Tickets cost $20 and can be purchased at the door (415 Greenwich, between Laight and Hubert). For more info, see methome.com/showtime2009.

• The Tribeca Trib reports that “A four-year rehabilitation of the Brooklyn Bridge could begin as early as December…. The DOT will shut down the Manhattan-bound lanes of the bridge at night (from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.) and on some weekends (from 12 a.m. to 7 a.m. on Saturdays and 9 a.m. on Sundays), diverting traffic over the Manhattan Bridge or through the Brooklyn-Battery tunnel. Traffic heading east over the bridge into Brooklyn will not be interrupted, and the pedestrian walkway will remain open during construction.”

• From Curbed (click for renderings), an update on the Department of Sanitation’s new building in west Soho: “Yesterday the city’s somewhat obscure Public Design Commission reviewed the latest plans for the Tower O’ Garbage, the Sanitation Department’s proposed home for three districts’ worth of garbage trucks along the West Side Highway between Canal and Spring Streets. Neighbors in Hudson Square and Tribeca have been fighting the trashy terror with an anger normally seen only when Whole Foods runs out of stroller parking, but that didn’t stop the commission from unanimously approving the updated design.”

• Downtown Express on school zoning: “The D.O.E. spoke to parents after a confusing kindergarten admissions season in which the rules kept changing and many parents could not get into the school closest to their home. Based on that experience, most parents want the city to create separate zones for each of Lower Manhattan’s schools, with children guaranteed a seat in their zoned school, said John White, head of the D.O.E.’s Office of Portfolio Development.”

• In restaurant news, chef Masaharu Morimoto is planning a yet-to-be-named restaurant in the Dennis Foy space on Church (bet. Lispenard and Walker), says Eater; it’s the same block with Macao Trading Co. and the upcoming Stuzzicheria. The Tribeca Trib got more info: “According to the sample menu, the cuisine leans more toward comfort food than cutting-edge. Grilled or fried skewers take the place of the voluminous sushi menus typical of Morimoto’s other establishments. Western staples like fish and chips, homemade bagels and fried bananas are mingled with East Asian standards like hayashi rice, bibimbop and steamed dumplings.” Meanwhile, Ed Levine at the Huffington Post had a super time at Locanda Verde’s Sunday night supper: The fried chicken (above) may not have been transcendent, but “the biscuits belong in the Biscuit Hall of Fame.” Mr. Chow, feeling either empathy or the pinch, has introduced a Recession Buster Menu: You get two courses for $38 (!), but you have to go 6–7 p.m. or 10–11:30 p.m.; ask for the RB Menu. Speaking of the Recession, Fox News used it as an excuse to pop by Tribeca Treats for a profile of owner Rachel Thebault. And NBC New York reported that Turks & Frogs (Greenwich bet. Watts and Desbrosses) is opening a related-but-different wine bar at 323 W. 11th St.

• Curbed got a tour of the World Trade Center construction, and took many photos.

• A website called ReadWriteStart profiled BuildingBulletins—somebody get these folks a space bar!—a business that aims to connect residents of apartment buildings: “The residents of Barclay Tower in TriBeCa are using the site to organize a pool party meet-and-greet, complain to one another about the noise, gush about their respective dogs, and chat about the building’s lease capacity.” Barclay Tower’s bulletin board is here if you want an example, though the postings may or may not be real.

• Last but not least, State Senator Daniel Squadron released a schedule of upcoming conference calls; see squadron.nysenate.gov. If you’re interested in joining in, he asks that you email admin@danielsquadron.org ahead of time for an agenda. You can also listen to recordings later on his site.

And that’s it for now. As always, please email editor@tribecacitizen.com with any tips!