••• “One of the most highly regarded and longest-practicing pediatricians in Lower Manhattan is hanging up her stethoscope. Dr. Bonita Franklin, who began treating Downtown children in 1988, is closing her office tomorrow.  (Although she will continue to serve as a specialist in pediatric endocrinology at New York University Hospital, she is shutting down her general pediatrics practice.)” —Broadsheet

••• The Tribeca Trib profiles Stevie, Alan and Ron Katz, proprietors of Paramount/Boltex Textile Company at 34 Walker; they’re notable for not cashing out.

••• “This is Project Playdate [at Playgarden], where hip parents deposit their young ones while they head off for a few hours of kid-free fun on the weekend. Scrambling for a baby sitter is so passé — for basically the same amount you’d pay for a sitter ($45 for the first child, $25 for each additional sibling, for three hours), parents can hire the Project Playdate ladies for Saturday night kiddie pizza parties from 5:30 to 8:30.” I don’t have kids, so I don’t know, but is this really the first of its kind? (From a reader: “Kids club in BPC has a similar program on Friday nights—not sure if any others places like Kidville or Gymboree do as well. It is a bit more than sitters if you have a seconnd child (as you normally pay $15-20 for 2 kids) but the benefit is that your child gets to do something fun.”) —New York Post

••• “For months, people walking past Chase Manhattan Plaza in Lower Manhattan have gazed upon an empty two-acre expanse surrounded by fences and patrolled by private security guards. […] Over the past six months, supporters of open and accessible public space have accused the bank of keeping people out of the plaza without justification. After contractors obtained a permit to put up sturdier fences as part of a renovation plan, one man sued the New York City Department of Buildings over a refusal to disclose the plans. The suit also challenged an assertion by the city that the plans should remain secret because the plaza and the tower next to it are potential terrorism targets.” —New York Times