BOND VET OPENING IN FIDI
Bond Vet, which offers both primary care and urgent care services for animals, has taken a ground floor space at 2 Gold, between Platt and Liberty. It will open in the coming weeks. Founded in 2019, the national chain has same-day walk-in appointments, online bookings, surgeries, dental cleanings, and international health certificates.

BALLOON SALOON’S STOREFRONT’S CLOSEUP
Balloon Saloon is featured in a new book of fabulous NYC storefronts, by Joel Holland and David Dodge, along with a detail I didn’t realize. From TimeOut’s review of the book: “First, there’s the Balloon Saloon, the colorful TriBeCa spot where it’s impossible not to smile. But few know the store’s history: It once sold novelty sex items, but as the business’ owners saw the neighborhood transform, they realized balloons would likely cater better to the new clientele.”

PICKLEBALL SQUEEZING OUT KIDS?
Downtown Soccer League is leading a petition against the “pickleball takeover” of a field in the Village used for a lot of games: Seravalli Playground on Hudson and Horatio. From their Change.org petition: “Without any input from the community, the NYC Dept of Parks & Recreation quietly approved two large pickleball courts that now dominate the open play space. Players now endlessly swarm the playground daily, spreading out far beyond their two courts, effectively overtaking the entire playground during peak times. The children have been squeezed out and many have stopped going altogether.”

NEW YORK ON FILM: KOCH
The Downtown Alliance will screen the 2012 documentary “Koch” and host a conversation with the director on Wednesday, Oct. 12, at 6p, at the Alamo Drafthouse. Tickets are $5 and include popcorn and a beverage. Neil Barsky’s film chronicles the tumult of Koch’s three terms in office (1978-1989) including a fiercely competitive 1977 election; an infamous 1980 transit strike; the burgeoning AIDS epidemic; landmark housing renewal initiatives; and an irreparable municipal corruption scandal. The screening will be followed by a conversation between Barksy and journalist Tom Robbins (Village Voice, Daily News, NY Observer, City Limits).