14 REASONS TO BE EXCITED ABOUT THE FUTURE
There’s been a lot of bad news lately, and I fear we haven’t heard the last of it, so let’s try to focus on the positive (for one post, anyway). Here are 14 things to look forward to in Lower Manhattan in the next year or two.

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TONIGHT 7PM: HOLIDAY CONCERT AT 22 BARCLAY STREET
“The Many Sounds of Christmas” features The Salvatones (vocal ensemble), New York Virtuosi (string ensemble), and Stephen Fraser (organist) under the direction of Daniel Brondel, Associate Director of Music at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Fill up on holiday gems, rarely heard twists and jazzy arrangements of classics, and even join in singing cherished carols. See our YouTube promo video. Historic St. Peter’s Church, 22 Barclay Street. Tickets: $25 advance/$35 door. Visit Salvatones.org or call 212-784-6176. Sponsored.

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SPOTLIGHT: DONZELLA
“It all grew out of an untrained passion,” says Paul Donzella, whose store on White Street is a temple of post-war design. “I’ve been doing this for over 20 years and I never don’t look forward to coming to work.” Read the Q&A, with photos by Claudine Williams.

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Come join a neighborhood tradition at Trinity Grace Church! Our 1 p.m. program features traditional Christmas Carols plus the TGC Tribeca Kids Theatre Company performs a short play which weaves together the Nativity Story and a humorous tale set in our very own Tribeca. Our 7 p.m. program is a beautiful 45-minute Candlelight service. Children will receive activity bags and are encouraged to wear their pajamas! All are welcome. Attire is casual. Merry Christmas! Sponsored.

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SEEN & HEARD
••• 12/17: Empty storefronts with the most potential. Plus: the Django now has an early-bird night; Jeff Zimmerman show at R & Company; Maman brunch.
••• 12/18: Mangez Avec Moi’s goodbye note. Plus: The Beekman hotel is now taking reservations (above); Drybar at Brookfield Place looks very close to opening; stylish FiDi café in the works; Pakistan Tea House is starting to cause concern.
••• 12/19: Saleya’s farewell note. Plus: Broadway clothing store closing; Bond New York’s Tribeca real estate office has closed; a café explains its C grade; “John Wick 2” shot here again; suitcase security; “Where in Tribeca…?” unsolved.

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HOLIDAY GIFTS FROM MACARON CAFÉ
A beautiful box of delicious macarons from MacarOn Café is sure to make anyone on your list happy. And just in time for the holidays, MacarOn Café is introducing a line of bonbons: a chocolate shell around layers of macaron, fluffy vanilla marshmallow, and a filling (rich praliné, raspberry jam, or Key lime caramel). Handmade in New York City, they’re gluten-free, preservative-free, and transfat-free. Order today for delivery by Christmas: Call 212-465-0544, visit macaroncafe.com, or stop by 303 Greenwich (between Reade and Chambers). Sponsored.

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MUSEUM OF MODERN GRAFFITI | DECEMBER 2015
When I started this series, there was enough street art for a post every few months, then every six months; now it’s once a year, if we’re lucky.

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IN THE NEWS
••• 12/17: Sway Lounge is closing. Plus: The Baked gents on the “Today” show; the Battery Park City Authority’s attempt at communication; rumored Bowery Meat Company spinoff in the Seaport; Peck Slip School parents oppose free breakfast for kids; Trinity Church art installation.
••• 12/18: Alleged shoplifter escapes police custody (and handcuffs, too), but he was eventually found. Plus: Local politicians to take over School Overcrowding Task Force; Saks Men’s Store to emphasize “experimental shopping”; the recipe for Houseman’s roasted-squash salad.

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WHERE IN TRIBECA…?
Congratulations to James for correctly identifying last week’s Where in Tribeca…? (Click the link to discover the answer.) We’ll play again Friday morning.

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FIELD TRIP: CROWN HEIGHTS
I kept imagining that locals, seeing us take photos of the townhouses, foliage, and signage, probably assumed we were gentrifiers plotting a takeover. But what’s the alternative: never leave Tribeca? Plus, now I know where to get cow skin.

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