Friday, April 25, 2025

Friday, April 25, 2025 

Welcome to another Friday edition of the Tech:NYC Digest, featuring our favorite five highlights in New York tech this week.

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A stunning new pool in Central Park helps heal old wounds (New York Times)

• Central Park’s redevelopment has been a decades-long project — especially at the Harlem end of the park, spanning six acres. But the creation of the $160 million Davis Center opening to the public on Saturday aims to contribute to its restoration in significant ways.

  • The new center will feature a swimming pool, skating rink, and pavilion. In shoulder months, the center will convert into an artificial turf field for year-round use. 🛼

Amazon still expanding in NYC with Bryant Park lease (NY Post)

• Amazon (a Tech:NYC member!) has signed a 330,000-square-foot lease at 10 Bryant Park, marking its first long-term, direct office lease in New York City since the pandemic.

  • The deal closed last week, with the lease starting at $29.5 million annually and increasing to $32.2 million over five years. 🌇

An original Penn Station eagle hides in plain sight (City & State)

• Originally, 22 granite and marble eagle statues adorned the historic Penn Station, but after the station's 1963 demolition, the eagles were scattered across the U.S. Yet history buffs have been tracking their locations for years — and recently, one of the iconic eagles returned to Midtown Manhattan.

  • It's been placed on a plaza between 33rd and 34th Streets, right behind The Rutherford sports bar, reconnecting the city with a piece of its architectural past. 🦅

The New York chefs making magnolia blossoms last (New York Times)

• Ahh springtime. Beautiful flowers to admire, smell… and eat? These New York chefs are using both flour and flowers to create beautiful (and delicious) delicacies.

Classic masterpieces are reimagined with cutting-edge technology at this interactive NYC exhibition (Secret NYC)

• A new exhibit, “Maestros and the Machines,” debuted yesterday, promising to reimagine masterpieces from notable artists — from Mozart and Da Vinci to Hokusai and more — through cutting-edge digital tools, immersive soundscapes, and interactive installations.

Your AI-generated cartoon of the week, conceived entirely by humans.

• Tech:NYC prompted ChatGPT to create a black-and-white one-panel cartoon.

  • The concept for the cartoon was entirely thought of by a human, and a human put on the finishing touches manually. But AI drew the bulk of it.

In honor of May starting next week, here’s this week’s cartoon. Click on the image for a bonus NYC story!

Submit your own human-conceived, AI-generated cartoon to [email protected] for a chance to be featured in an upcoming Friday Digest!

Stop and smell the (April) flowers this weekend, New York! 🌷

Any feedback or suggestions of things to add? Get in touch here.
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