Light On...In Lower Manhattan

Downtown Alliance's Kelly Rush fills us in on new openings in Lower Manhattan It seemed this winter that the supply of new businesses opening in North Battery Park City was endless, and in fact this column will soon see yet another crop. The final two that I know of are expected to open in time for my next column, and then we'll say goodbye to this busy little strip for a while. I've been taking pictures of some of the myriad public spaces in Lower Manhattan and have come across some beautiful reminders that the northern hemisphere is waking up to spring and showing us its colors. I hope you enjoy them, and as usual, if you see any new retailers or longtime establishments changing locations, please email me at tre@downtownny.com and I'll check them out. Conrad New York Hotel 102 North End Ave. (betw. Murray and Vesey Sts.), 212-945-0100. We've seen the construction crews moving in and out of this space for months now, and all that work has finally concluded with the Conrad celebrating its grand opening March 19. The hotel, perched in the center of Restaurant Alley across from the Goldman Sachs building, is like its own little city; It has a restaurant, Atrio, a rooftop bar opening in May called Loopy Doopy (named after the Sol LeWitt mural hanging in the hotel's atrium), and even a barbershop, Salvatore Barber (Atrium Level, 646-769-4272), which is now open and serving guests and visitors in need of a trim. I walked to the hotel recently and was impressed with the light that pours in through west-facing windows overlooking the Hudson waterfront. Hotels have a tendency to be dark, and patrons can experience what I call the "casino effect," whereupon leaving the building, one's eyes cannot adjust even to the weakest sunlight. Not so here. The artwork complements the architecture, the plush carpet in the lobby is so deep it muffled my clunking footsteps and you just can't beat the view. Atrio Atrium Level, 646-769-4250. This full-service restaurant, situated just off the lobby, has an extensive menu including breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner, plus desserts. To start, try an ahi tuna crudo or a radicchio-and-endive salad. Main dishes include an orecchiette pasta with Long Island duck sausage, a stone-fired organic chicken and a prime New York strip. Stone-fired pizzas available include one with a port reduction and smoked scarmorza. For dessert, try the pistachio profiteroles, salted peanut gelato or a chocolate panna cotta with amarena cherries.