In my two years of running this blog, I have started to see what an incubator of small businesses this neighborhood has become. Yes, we have, as a community, a lot of disposable income, and that is a primary reason for the success of small business here. But we are also a neighborhood that draws people from around the city, and that helps businesses grow. Once a business takes off here, it often expands elsewhere — take Dance with Miss Rachel, or Lyons Den or Book Nook as examples.

So the #1 reasons to be excited about the future? The virus is on the wane, vaccinations are rolling out, and many of our local businesses have been able to hang on. Hopefully some of the businesses that are still shuttered — Little Park, for example, or Au Cheval — will be able to resume. And this list to follow comes with a caveat: it’s possible that the pandemic has thwarted some of these plans. But I am still ready to be hopeful and excited about the next year in the neighborhood:

A CROP OF NEW RESTAURANTS
Next week, a new takeout (for now) restaurant from Ed Koch’s chef will open in the former Baked space on Church. I’m still holding out hope that the Japanese bar Icca at 20 Warren will open its doors soon along with Torishin yakitori restaurant in the former Tribeca Treats location. Last I checked a food hall planned for 205 Hudson was tangled in a lawsuit. There’s a restaurant planned for the Walker Hotel. And let’s not forget the new Greek restaurant coming to the former North End Grill space from the owners of Harry’s Italian and the new J&R Music Lounge by City Winery from Michael Dorf. The wine bar and tasting room at 100 Church will be great once things reopen fully. As of August, David Bouley had plans to come back to the neighborhood to open a new iteration of Bouley at Home crossed with private dining on Harrison Street. A bakery from the Flatiron is still scheduled to come to the Maison Kayser space in this quarter. Plans laid out in April call for a 3500-square-foot farm-to-table upscale Mexican restaurant at the corner of Greenwich and N. Moore. Daily Goods will open in the Philly Pretzel space. And I can’t wait to see how the vertical restaurant in One White turns out.

Further downtown, in the Seaport, Mr. Dips and Andrew Carmellini’s Carne Mare are hopefully still on schedule, and 100 Pearl is also scheduled to be a food hall. The World Trade Center mall has a bunch of new outlets on the way including a beer garden on the plaza and the Gansevoort Food Hall that was once across from the Whitney. Let’s hope Alamo Drafthouse and Press Room at Fosun’s Plaza are still on track.

WAYS TO RAISE ELBOWS
There were plans afoot to revive a jazz club in the Bogardus Mansion, as well as a proposal for a tavern at the former Schoolhouse Electric space. CB1 rejected plans for an upscale tavern in the former Saks space in Brookfield; hopefully the plan will proceed anyway.

NEW BUILDINGS TO BE UNVEILED
The finishing touches are being put on 100 Franklin and 30 Warren. There are hotels still planned — though in some cases, now stalled — for 86 Warren, 21 Park Place, 456 Greenwich (more in this soon), 110-112 Liberty. The last of the old J&R buildings — 1 Park Row — started demolition in May. Plans for 11 Hubert were finally approved by the Landmarks Commission, a 100-year-old parking garage on N. Moore will be converted to offices, and 67 Vestry at West Street is scheduled to be finished this year. The Tin Building at the Seaport should be wrapped up within months.

NEW BUILDINGS HOPEFULLY NEVER TO BE UNVEILED
A ruling in September supported residents’ claims that the borough-based jail proposed for White Street failed to follow land use procedures and will deplete the quality of life for the neighborhood. More to come on this, of course.

SERVICES + SHOPPING
The neighborhood now has three members-only social clubs: The Wonder, the Nexus Club and the newly opened Cocoon. On the horizon: Highcourt, a social and fitness club in more of a mid-price range aimed at the millennials with fitness studios, a restaurant and lecture series. It will occupy an entire building on Broadway south of Walker. Tribecan Rachel Apfel Glass will open her third outlet of Glosslab, a nail salon, on West Broadway and Leonard.

MORE PUBLIC OPEN SPACES
Pier 26 opened mid-pandemic, and within the next couple years, the rest of the Tribeca section should be finished. A revamped Rockefeller playground opened in October. The Battery is expecting a new playground (more on this soon), and the Bank of New York Mellon plans to improve the plaza on Murray and West, where the Citi Bike station is now, as well as the streetscape on Greenwich and Murray around its building perimeter. (The story is not that simple, but go back to the post if you want more info.) Plus the city is creating dedicated bike lanes for the Brooklyn Bridge.

BIG ACTION AT THE WORLD TRADE CENTER
Just this month, it was announced that Silverstein and Brookfield will develop a 900-foot-tall building with 1300+ residential units for 5 World Trade Center on the south side of Liberty Park; 25 percent of the units will be affordable. The design for 2 WTC, which will dominate the view down Greenwich Street, has switched from Norman Foster to BIG back to Foster again. The arts center topped out in March. And Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church is in the final stretch — after 20 years — and will be finished in time for the 20th anniversary of 9/11.

CULTURE HIGH AND LOW
Anish Kapoor’s silver blob has been stalled for months, but let’s hope it continues to come together at 56 Leonard. There are 44 pieces in total and it was my understanding that they were already delivered here. The Alamo Drafthouse cineplex is still coming — it was supposed to open in 2019. The state has plans to build a memorial to the victims of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico at the end of Chambers. An interactive theater called Sleep No More is facing fierce pushback from Fidi residents, but is continuing its quest. Another entertainment venue is planned for 49 Chambers, but more on that later.

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
And finally a shout-out to the “New Kids” of 2020, whose openings were shrouded by the pandemic yet somehow they are making it work.

New Kid on the Block: Parisi Speed School at ARC Athletics
The owners and trainers at ARC Athletics have opened a new facility on Leonard just for kids, with the space for them to develop their best athletic selves.

New Kid on the Block: Frenchette Bakery
The bakery, which officially opened mid-October, has added Saturday hours and pizzas to the menu, along with a couple dozen other staples and treats.

New Kid on the Block: Paisley
Indian is the ultimate comfort food — warm, rich, plentiful — and, well, now’s the time for that.

New Kids on the Block: Cocoon
Two local couples have founded a members-only social club for kids and parents, filling the former Best Market space with very little to create just that: space..

Ganso Ramen operating out of Sarabeth’s kitchen
In a ghost kitchen arrangement at Sarabeth’s, the former Brooklyn ramen joint that got Michelin attention is operating here.

New Doctors in the House: Step Up Footcare, Foot Doctor of New York and Empower Your Smile
The neighborhood has three new practices: two podiatrists and a dentist have set up shop recently.

Made in Tribeca: Rose Box
A Tribecan and her business partner apply their fashion sense to custom designed preserved roses, creating an online business that now has a storefront on Franklin Street.

New Kid on the Block: Sant Ambroeus
The restaurant first immigrated here from Milan in the ’80s, expanding over time to create a mini Italian-inspired empire.

New Kid Hidden on the Block: The Little Shop
Froot Loops and martinis: a new speakeasy has opened behind a new bodega on Front Street in the Seaport, so you can get a fried egg sandwich with your negroni.

New Kid in Two Bridges: Golden Diner
Chef Sam Yoo is a local New Yorker who wanted a upscale diner for his own neighborhood. So he added his Momofuku pedigree to the equation.

New Kid on the Block!!! Homemade by Miriam
When they opened in June, I was so excited to write a “new kid” entry — I didn’t think I would have that headline anytime soon. So a big neighborhood welcome to Rafi Hasid and his latest local venture.

New Kid on the Block: Hawa
The local smoothie franchise Hawa has taken the space that was Razzle Dazzle Barbershop and is offering smoothies, juices, bubble teas and acai shakes and bowls.

New Kid on the Block: ManiCare
A new nail salon on Murray and West Broadway specializes in a “vegan,” cruelty-free polish.

New Kid on the Block: 16 Handles
The latest 16 Handles franchise lands on Chambers Street, 12 years after the chain was founded in the East Village for the NYU crowd.