Friday, December 5, 2025
Welcome to another Friday edition of the Tech:NYC Digest, featuring our favorite five highlights in New York and tech this week.
But first: Tech:NYC’s NYC AI Demos series returns this Monday! Join Pensar, The Refinery at Domino, and hundreds of technologists, founders, and investors on December 8 for live demos from OpenRouter, Inc, Promptfoo, Slingshot AI, Waymo, Pensar, and Descope.
Smash that registration button here.
Was this digest forwarded to you? Subscribe here.
Chanel holds a starry fashion show in the New York City subway (New York Times)
Chanel staged its Métiers d’Art show in an abandoned downtown subway station this week. 👠🚇
The show spotlighted fresh global talent and officially made subway catwalks ~trendy~.
It was a convergence of several NYC hallmarks: The subway, the fashion industry, celeb sightings, and a sprinkle of international pizazz.
Running the rails: Brooklyn man finishes quest to jog along every NYC subway line (Gothamist)
Another subway runway story: Thai Richards has officially run every NYC subway line — all 25, plus the Staten Island Railway. 🏃♂️🚇
He started in 2023 with the A train’s 34-mile stretch and wrapped Tuesday with a rainy 23-mile sprint along the 4 train from the Bronx to Crown Heights.
Decked out in a Yankees jersey, Richards filmed the final mile-marker, drank beers en route, and declared: “MTA, I ran you all.”
Housing production increases 23% in first year of City of Yes (Crain’s New York)
The City of Yes for Housing Opportunity, a series of zoning reforms aimed at increasing housing in NYC, passed exactly one year ago today. And in the first year, the numbers are encouraging.
The city permitted about 17,600 new homes through late October this year, a 22.8% increase from the same period in 2024.
Plus, New York developers are transforming struggling office buildings into more than 12,000 new apartments, with over 3,000 of them earmarked as permanently affordable homes. 🏘️
Yankees legend CC Sabathia helps NYC transform ‘dilapidated’ field into $11 million complex (NY Post)
CC came through in the clutch, even in retirement. ⚾ Yankees legend CC Sabathia helped unveil a new 150,000-square-foot “Field of Dreams” in Harlem, replacing a long-neglected park with one of NYC’s biggest athletic complexes.
Backed by the city, CC’s foundation, MLB, and over $7 million in public funding, the field now features synthetic turf and fresh amenities.
When it opens this spring, free Saturday Night Lights clinics will give local kids a bright new place to play.
NY ❤️ Legal tech 🧑⚖️ (Business Insider)
New York City is the new hot spot for legal tech startups because if you want to recruit in Big Law, you have to be where the lawyers are (obviously). 🏙️
Legora, Harvey, Clio, Spellbook, Covenant, Hebbia, and Norm AI are snapping up office space from Union Square to Midtown, betting proximity means faster deals, quicker feedback, and more Citi Bike-powered pitch meetings.
With perks like stock options, fertility benefits, and free lunches, plus founders boasting “New York is the only option,” junior lawyers are ditching billable hours for startup life, and sometimes even recruiting over cocktails at NYC bars.
Our verdict: Time for a great weekend, New York! 🤸
Daily Digest Rewards 🎁
Treat yourself: Send subscribers our way, and we’ll send swag your way.
1 Referral: Shoutout in the Digest
5 Referrals: Obviously NYC Hat
10 Referrals: Obviously NYC Tote Bag
25 Referrals: Obviously NYC Sweatshirt
{{rp_personalized_text}}
Or share your personal link with others: {{ rp_refer_url }}
Any feedback or suggestions of things to add? Get in touch here.
Was this digest forwarded to you? Sign up to receive it directly here.