Graphic courtesy the New York Times; click to enlarge

••• The New York Times ran an interesting front-page article about what a royal pain organizing the 9/11 Museum has been, because of all the emotional stakeholders. Or at least that’s how I read it. (P.S. I never knew that Bloomberg once said if he were a mourner, he’d “suck it up and get going.”)

••• Crain’s reports on the public meeting to discuss the Hudson River Park Trust and, in particular, the idea of residential development on Pier 40: “Several speakers, however, argued that alternatives do indeed exist. Among those making that point was State Assemblywoman Deborah Glick, whose support is seen as key to the trust’s efforts to persuade the legislature to change a 1998 state law that created the park and which forbids a range of lucrative uses of park property. ‘They presented this as the silver bullet,’ she said. Instead Ms. Glick argued, the city as well as local businesses should chip in to pay for the bills since they have benefited from the park. One way to do that, she suggested, would be to create a Park Improvement District that would be able to tap property taxes on developments sprouting up near the park. As for the city’s future contributions, she pointed out that the Department of Education uses the ball fields on Pier 40. ‘Ask them how much the city is providing for that,’ she said.”

••• “The new, bigger Pearl Street Playground filled with frolicking children shortly after it opened its gates late last week for the first time following a year of construction. The $2.1 million playground—which features spray fountains, a sand pit, swings and landscaped seating areas—got positive reviews from its inaugural visitors on Friday afternoon.” —DNAinfo

••• Eater interviewed Corton chef Paul Liebrandt.

••• “Tribeca lawyer Pete Gleason gives a tour of the home he posted as bail for Anna Gristina.” It has a zany backsplash. —New York Daily News

••• “Parent leaders allege DOE is mortgaging future of two Lower Manhattan schools by expanding lower grades with space that will soon be needed by upper classes.” —Broadsheet

••• “The River Project caught their first lined seahorse (Hippocampus erectus) of the year on March 19. To date they have caught 13 more seahorses out of the Hudson River near their estuarium on Pier 40 in Hudson River Park. Since the beginning of their species monitoring study The River Project has found seahorses in the Hudson between the months of March and November.” Seahorses are the best. —Broadsheet

••• “The city’s Education Department does not track how much individual PTAs raise. There is no central clearinghouse for this information, and parents are often reluctant to publicly share fund-raising numbers. To put together a list of the top-earning PTAs, The New York Times analyzed Internal Revenue Service filings posted on GuideStar, a research company that tracks nonprofit organizations and charitable giving. The information is not comprehensive, so there may be other schools that raised similar amounts that were not included. But it presents a snapshot of how some of the richest schools have fared. [P. S. 234] raised $541,712 in the 2009-10 school year. The Taste of Tribeca, a culinary festival with many of the neighborhood’s best-known chefs participating, provided a substantial amount.”

••• “President Obama will visit the former site of the World Trade Center this month to pander patriotically view the progress of One World Trade Center, the growing skyscraper that became the tallest building in New York City this spring. White House spokesman Josh Earnest briefed reporters Friday about the visit, which is scheduled for Flag Day, June 14.” —New York Post

••• There were fires at One World Trade Center, the Staten Island Ferry Terminal, and 116 John. —DNAinfo

••• “Although she was urged by many CB1 members to consider a run for vice chair of the Board, [Julie] Menin will instead be stepping down to focus on a possible run for Manhattan Borough President in 2013. The current vice chair, Catherine McVay Hughes, who also chairs CB1’s World Trade Center Redevelopment Committee, is running unopposed for chair.” —Broadsheet

••• The new-ish South Ferry subway station is leaking. —Tribeca Trib

••• “Retiring Teacher Linda Jones Looks Back on 23 Years in a Tribeca School.” —Tribeca Trib

••• “The [Washington Market Park] lawn was (barely) able to open for a day, in time for a scheduled performance last month. Now it is scheduled open again all this weekend.” That’s this past weekend. —Tribeca Trib

••• “J.Crew CEO Mickey Drexler […] snapped up a trophy co-op in trendy Tribeca for more than its $13.5 million asking price. The sprawling five-bedroom, 4.5 bath, 6,226- square-foot unit at 140 Franklin St. is in a landmarked 1887 Romanesque revival building converted to luxury units in 2000.” —New York Post