• The World Trade Center site gets all the press, but for many of us, it’s the smaller construction projects that are really beginning to grind—you can’t throw a stone these days without hitting orange plastic. Here’s an update on a few of the area’s construction zones, courtesy of the Lower Manhattan Construction Command Center:
—Harrison Street, Hudson to Greenwich: reconstruction work began July 20, 2009 through approximately spring 2010.
—Leonard Street: Final reconstruction at the West Broadway intersection, through approximately early fall 2009.
—Park Place: Reconstruction work is underway on the north side of Park Place between Church Street and Broadway. Westbound traffic will be prohibited, but two eastbound traffic lanes will be maintained throughout project. Buses on that block of Park Place are re-routed to Warren Street [as of] October 13. Work there continues through approximately November 2009.
—Greenwich Street, Canal to Hubert: Excavation and utility work in segments from January through late 2010.
—99 Church (Barclay/Park Place): Superstructure construction is likely on hold for one year, through mid-2010. New completion schedule TBA.
—57 Reade (at Broadway): Foundation work will continue through March 2010. Superstructure will begin in October 2009 and continue through November 2010.

• Yesterday, I noticed a sign in the window of the Zinc Building—the trapezoid on Greenwich between Canal and Watts—advertising a sample sale of Naughty Naughty Pets products. The sale was Oct. 21–22, but I coveted a framed print of a pug that was sitting on the floor, so I contacted Wendy Gardner, the woman behind the brand, and since she lives very nearby, she offered to come over if I called next time I was around. I walked back up a few hours later, and I bought my print and a few gifts, including the stuffed pug above (she has many stuffed animals, as well as greeting cards, clothing, and more). Email her at wendy@scarystories.com and she’ll open the “store” for you—though the unfinished retail space has no heat, so she may not be available for that much longer.

• Speaking of stuffed animals: The Rema Hort Mann Foundation, which supports individuals battling cancer and is based in Tribeca, is looking for participants for its fall 2009 Grin & Bear fundraiser. If you buy a $100 stuffed animal at rhmfoundation.org, the toy will be hand-delivered in December to pediatric cancer wards in the area.

• Wine importer Kermit Lynch compiled an entertaining “food diary” (what he ate for a week while in New York) for Grub Street, and it includes a dinner at Bouley.