This will probably be the last post until after Christmas, as I’m off to California to see my family. Here’s a big roundup to tide you over. If you hear anything good while I’m gone, please email me at tribecacitizen@gmail.com!

NICE PANTS!
I bought a pair of pants at the Grown & Sewn pop-up shop the other day, and just as designer Rob Magness predicted, they’ve immediately become my favorite pants. They’re contemporary in fit without being Eurotrashy. One of the best things about stopping by to try on a pair is that Rob can help you figure out which size and model is right for you. Try getting that experience pretty much anywhere else.

AROUND THE WEB
“Hudson Square Garbage Garage Alternative Not Dead Yet?” (Curbed) ••• The Wall Street Journal profiles 26-year-old interior designer Ryan Korban, who opened accessories boutique Edon Manor (on Greenwich) when he was a senior in college. ••• Jean-Georges Vongerichten makes soba noodles with Matsugen‘s Kazuhiro Watanabe, on video (Zagat via Grub Street) ••• Restaurateur Drew Nieporent—of Tribeca Grill, Nobu, and Corton—shares his Sunday routine with the New York Times. It involves Buffalo chicken wings, football, and “Desperate Housewives.” ••• Crain’s profiles Little Airplane Productions, located is in the Seaport and makes kids’ TV shows such as Wonder Pets!

MEMBERS ONLY
The Tribeca Retail Club—an “underground” shopping event held quarterly at Chacala event space—will host its next “designer soirée” on Tuesday, Dec. 22, from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. It’s basically a trunk show, but with cocktails and a DJ. A list of participating designers is at tribecaretailclub.com (click on “visitors”), as is RSVP info. Admission is free.

STEALS AND DEALS
The Jade’s Toy Box/Zaba pop-up shop at N. Moore and Varick is holding “a blow-out closing sale” on Monday, Dec. 28, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Maybe you can get a bargain on the cool cardboard dining table….

THIS CHRISTMAS
Looking for something to do on Christmas day? The Museum of Jewish Heritage will be open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with two performances by Joshua Nelson (left) and the Kosher Gospel Choir. The 11 a.m. show is a sing-along for kids ($20 adults, $10 kids under 10); the 1 p.m. is for everyone ($35). Reserve by calling 646-437-4202 or going here. ••• Looking for something to eat on Christmas? Trattoria Cinque will serve the feast of the seven fishes, an Italian tradition, for $105—or you can order the fishes à la carte. The regular menu will be an option, too. ••• 92YTribeca is offering up a Chinese-food buffet and a Mel Brooks double feature: Spaceballs and Blazing Saddles. The soy sauce starts flowing at 2 p.m.

WHO KNEW?
A faithful reader sent over a link to a Detroit News look at the history of Lionel Trains. Here’s the relevant snippet: “Joshua Lionel Cowen, founder of Lionel Trains, was born in New York City in 1880, and built his first model locomotive at the age of 7. Carving it from wood he fitted it with a tiny steam engine he fashioned himself. At the age of 19, Cowen removed a small motor from an electric fan and fitted it to a toy railroad flatcar, which he set up on a 30-foot circle of brass track. He offered the new toy to a novelty shop in New York which sold the set for $6 and ordered a half dozen more. Cowen formed the Lionel Manufacturing Company on Sept. 5, 1900, at 24 Murray Street, New York City. By 1921 more than a million Lionel electric train sets had been sold to an America that had gone decidedly train crazy.”