••• “Overwhelmed by a record number of kindergarten applications downtown, the city promised last week to build a new elementary school for Lower Manhattan. The new 450-seat school would be located on the West Side between Hudson Square and Battery Park, an area where schools are already overcrowded and the city anticipates still more growth, said Elizabeth Rose, director of portfolio planning at the Dept. of Education. The city has not yet found a site for the school, so it likely would not open for at least a couple of years.” (Downtown Express)

••• The New York Times‘s Joyce Wadler tries to make her apartment “smarter,” and enlists Tribeca-based CytexOne to help.

••• “Gov. David Paterson put far less money in the state budget for Hudson River Park than park advocates were hoping. While the city allocated $11 million for the park’s construction next fiscal year, Paterson allocated only $3 million in his budget, said Matthew Washington, deputy director of the Friends of Hudson River Park. The city and state allocations must match, so if the state only puts in $3 million, then the park will only get $3 million from the city. If the $3 million figure stands, Washington said there would still be enough money to open the new boathouse on Pier 26 in Tribeca in 2011, but the small budget would put some planned work farther north in jeopardy.” (Downtown Express)

••• The New York Post says that actress Blake Lively is shopping for an apartment in Tribeca, as is Beyoncé’s mom.

••• Landmarc‘s Marc Murphy is still fuming about the Board of Health’s letter-grade system. (Grub Street)

••• Tuesdays from 6 to 9 p.m., Marc Forgione is serving all-you-can-eat suckling pig sliders for $16, says Time Out New York: “The restaurant takes
 care of the roasting, then leaves you to build your own sammies [Hate that word. —Ed.] with
 toppings like green mustard, house-made pickles, and two-for-one
 bottles of beer.” Make that all-you-can-drink Brooklyn Lager For $13, says Wined and Dined.

••• “Inspired by the massive success of Taste of Tribeca, an annual event that brings in over $100,000 a year for P.S. 234 and P.S. 150, parents at the Spruce Street School are organizing a Taste of Front St. for this May or June. The idea came from Paul Hovitz, a longtime Seaport resident, and Spruce parents and Front St. restaurants immediately jumped on board. Fernando Dallorso, owner of Stella on Front St., said he has 14 restaurants signed up so far, all hoping to improve their faltering business by participating.” (Downtown Express)

••• Tamarind Tribeca set to open March 29—and is taking OpenTable reservations starting on that date (Feast, via Grub Street).

••• Video of Terroir Tribeca‘s Paul Grieco mocking food-blog-video—in the wine bar’s bathroom, no less. (Grub Street)

••• “City to re-examine waterfront usage and development.” (Broadsheet Daily)

••• “Tribeca’s Greenwich St. is so chi-chi that nearly half of the buildings don’t have visible addresses, according to a new report (minus our ‘chi-chi’ spin) by Manhattan Beep Scott Stringer. He says the lack of addresses not only violates city code and is annoying, it also poses a safety risk by delaying emergency responders.” (Downtown Express)

••• Hassan Nemazee, “A once-wealthy businessman and prominent donor to Democratic candidates pleaded guilty on Thursday to stealing hundreds of millions of dollars to buy property in Westchester County, donate to charity and give money to political campaigns,” reports the New York Times. “As part of his plea, he agreed to forfeit assets totaling $292 million, including bank accounts; his interest in properties on Park Avenue and in Katonah, N.Y., Rome and Tribeca; and a 2008 Maserati. The agreement included a sentencing guideline of 15 years and 8 months to 19 years and 7 months in prison.”