NYC Digital

From Qwiki and Branch, to TutorSpree, more tech startups are moving their offices to New York City. Why the move? 

The New York Times reports:

Many new start-ups benefit from proximity to the media, advertising and fashion industries, New York’s strengths. And as the city’s industry grows, entrepreneurs say, it is offsetting some of the traditional disadvantages of being outside Silicon Valley.

…

People who have founded start-ups on the East and West Coasts say there can be an advantage to being in a place like New York where tech is not so all-consuming. Those at start-ups in New York repeatedly mention the intimacy of the relatively small but tight-knit industry here — in fact, they may be the only people who say they moved to New York because they liked its small-town vibe. 

Last night, Mayor Bloomberg received the 16^th Annual Webby Awards Lifetime Achievement Award. Tumblr CEO, David Karp, introduced the Mayor, who was recognized for his lifelong and continued support of technology, including his leadership in transforming New York City into a true global technology center. In his allotted 5-word speech, Mayor Bloomberg proudly stated, “Make it here, then everywhere”.

Since New York City Council recently enacted Local Law 11 of 2012 — which mandates citywide open data in machine-readable formats through a centralized, publicly accessible website — members of both the public and private sectors have been hard at work developing an implementation plan.  Over the weekend, NYC DoITT’s Office of Strategic Technology Development team and the open data/open government community gathered to brainstorm ideas on how to encourage agency adoption of the Open Data platform.  The productive Saturday session marks the first of more to come as the City strives to create an easy-to-navigate Open Data portal.  Check out a few pictures from the event here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nycdoitt/sets/72157629831629840/.

Earlier this week, Mayor Bloomberg and Chief Digital Officer Rachel Sterne unveiled the Made in NY Digital Jobs Map, a living resource that reflects the City’s dynamic innovation ecosystem and celebrates the digital companies, emerging and established, that call New York City their home.

Since launch, over 1,100 tech companies from NYC startups to co-working/incubator spaces and investment firms have already joined. What makes the Map a true digital resource is the fact that more than 700 of these companies are hiring, demonstrating the incredible speed at which tech communities are growing in New York City. The Mayor recently stated that employment data today shows that the city’s job gains are the best in 60 years. Looking for a job in the NYC tech sector is now easier than ever with the Digital Jobs Map; the map not only highlights thousands of jobs, but it also links directly to the jobs listings’ pages of tech companies that are hiring.  

If your digital company, co-working/incubator space, or investment firm is not yet on the Made In NY Digital Jobs Map, be sure to join the growing community here!

Flashback to when Mayor Bloomberg visited Facebook’s NYC office and wrote on their physical wall. 

Join Brooklyn Tech Triangle in an informal setting for an announcement of upcoming summer programs, an update on the Brooklyn Tech Triangle initiative, and an opportunity to get to know each other.

NYC is open for business. 500 tech companies. 1,000 tech job openings. See them all at mappedinny.com.