Boerum Hill: Now that Trader Joe's has finally amped up construction in the former Independence Bank space, they've papered the windows so you can't see the progress. [Lost City]
Central Park: The Picnic Club's inaugural lunch was rained out Sunday, again. [Down by the Hipster]
Dumbo: A film company is sponsoring an event on Front Street this Thursday night when you can meet artists and architects, and local "businesses will be … dishing up local food and entertainment." [Dumbo NYC]
East Village: The live berry cheesecake at Caravan of Dreams satisfies non-vegans, as might some of the other sweets on this vegan-dessert roundup. [Restaurant Girl]
Harlem: The W is opening an Aloft hotel at 124th Street in 2010. No word yet on restaurants planned for the snazzy spot. [Uptown Flavor]
Lower East Side: Spitzer's Corner has three variations of burgers on its menu, but none of them is really great. [A Hamburger Today]
Soho: Fr.Og has dropped the period from its name in an attempt to not be empty all the time. Let's hope this transformation doesn't alienate the few French promoters who do show up. [Eater]
Upper West Side: Café des Artistes has "most likely the city’s oldest and most refined barfly," 93-year-old Claire Oesch, "whose skin is still remarkably soft" and who has been a presence there since the forties. [NYT via Eater]

Central Park: The Picnic Club's first picnic is this Sunday, at 1 p.m., in Sheep Meadow. [Picnic Club via Down by the Hipster]
Chinatown: Try pairing Tribeca Film Festival flicks with not-inconvenient, quasi-relevant meals, like going to the Peking Duck House before checking out Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon, in which "three ancient Chinese kingdoms battle for control of the country." You and your date can fight over the crispiest skin. [Zagat]
Dumbo: It's comedy night at Water Street Restaurant, and in honor of Earth Day the comedians will try to make facial hair funny. There's no cover, though. [Dumbo NYC]
East Village: Arlo & Esme might actually succeed at being a "coffee geek's cafe/'speakeasy' bar." [Eater]
Midtown West: If you think a Manhattan cocktail is too sweet, try swapping the bourbon for rye, as suggested by the expert bartender at Keens. It's thought to be the original recipe, and it's damn good. [Diner's Journal/NYT]
Nolita: Former Country chef Doug Psaltis is behind the menu at the new small-plate spot Elizabeth in the old Rialto space, which also features a large garden with a retractable roof. [TONY]
Upper West Side: El Malecon's rotisserie could win a chicken competition any day. There were no actual other chickens to which to compare the tasty bird, but "anytime you can walk right into a restaurant without a reservation or a wait, and find spectacularly delicious food, cheap prices, and on-the-ball service despite a full house—that's a very happy, very rare night in NYC." [Mouthing Off/Food & Wine]