Tuesday, January 20, 2026
In today’s digest, a secret map, a public budget, and a rebooted office. 🏢
Was this digest forwarded to you? Subscribe here.
New York State Governor Kathy Hochul unveiled a record-high $260 billion FY2027 state budget proposal this afternoon, boosting funding for childcare, schools, and transit, while leaving income, sales, and business tax rates unchanged. 💰 (City & State)
The proposal is an increase from the current $254 billion budget, and kicks off weeks of negotiating with the state legislature before the April 1 deadline.
The state projects billions of dollars more in revenue from taxes than what was originally estimated when the current state budget passed last year, giving lawmakers extra breathing room as budget talks begin.
NYC is building a secret high-tech 3D map of everything beneath its streets to stop construction nightmares before they start. 🗺️ (Gothamist)
The city is spending $10 million in federal funds on a secure subsurface mapping system that could shave 6-12 months off construction timelines.
Launching as early as 2028, the map won’t be accessible to the public, so this conversation never happened. 🤫
Manhattan real estate money is flowing, with offices and Union Square retail leading the way. 💲 (NY Post)
Manhattan investment sales jumped 26% in 2025 to $11 billion, according to a new report from JLL, fueled by offices — including a $1.08 billion deal for 590 Madison Ave., the biggest office sale in over three years, and PayPal’s recent lease signing.
Union Square storefront occupancy climbed to 91%, with Uniqlo, Aritzia, Ulta Beauty, and others moving into long-vacant spaces as rents push toward $300 per square foot.
In other reading:
The 2026 Albany Power 100 — featuring Tech:NYC President and CEO Julie Samuels (City & State)
With multiple train megaprojects ahead, Hochul builds her ‘transit legacy’ (The CITY)
A map of the 38 best restaurants in NYC (Eater)
Rebooting the Office
Where’s Michael Scott when you need him?
Placer.ai’s latest Office Index shows workers stayed home more in December, even as employers locked in more Manhattan square footage. 🏢
Here’s what the data says:
Holiday slowdown: Nationwide office visits in December were 33.1% below 2019 levels, but this still marked the busiest in-office December since COVID, suggesting office attendance continues to recover year over year.
NYC is among the strongest markets, with visits just 19.6% below 2019, behind only Miami and Dallas.
Weather and a tough flu season likely dragged the Northeast numbers.
📊 Now layer on the latest data on Manhattan leasing:
Q4 2025 office leasing jumped over 25% from Q3 to 11.87 million sq ft, the strongest quarter in six years and the best since Q4 2019.
For 2025 overall, Manhattan leasing volume was the highest since 2019 and just 2.4% below pre-pandemic levels, powered by amenity-filled offices, stricter RTO policies, and expansions from tenants like Amazon, NYU, and BlackRock, plus a surge in AI company leases.
🗽 What this means for NYC tech: Hybrid is sticking, but the office is back as a talent magnet and culture anchor.
🔎 The takeaway: Foot traffic is still below 2019, but leases are flowing. NYC’s tech and AI employers are voting with their square feet that reports of the death of the office were greatly exaggerated.
In other reading:
January 22: Towards Emissions-Free Waterways, a discussion about whether BATWorks could serve as a center of expertise for the electrification of inland waterways. Register here.
January 23: Pitch and Run Friday, for founders to connect with Angels and VCs without the pressure of a pitch meeting. Register here.
January 23: Funders x Founders Walk on the High Line, a walk where founders can meet investors and investors can meet founders. Register here.
January 27: NYC Fintech Coffee, for fintech founders, investors, and enthusiasts to gather around and talk about everything fintech. Register here.
January 27: Investor-Ready Financials: How to Nail Your Financial Pitch, for founders preparing to raise, planning their first institutional round, or wanting to feel more confident discussing their numbers with investors. Register here.
January 28: Volume Four of Critical Mass: Continuums — the closing event of the Deep Tech NY conference — bringing together startups scaling hardware and software and developing critical technologies that are transforming legacy sectors. Register here.
January 28: Deep Tech NY, spotlighting, uniting, and accelerating the Northeast’s deep tech ecosystem by bringing together founders, investors, and scientists to shape the technologies that will define the next 50 years. Register here.
January 29: NYC AI Demos, the largest recurring AI demo series in New York, hosted by Tech:NYC, Pensar, and The Refinery at Domino. The series spotlights how AI is being built, applied, and adapted to serve both the NYC tech community and the city at large, and this month features demos from Bikky, Blackbird Labs, and more to be announced soon. Register here.
January 29: Founder Breakfast, a private, highly curated breakfast for a curated group of 15 founders at Seed and Series A. Register here.
January 30: 30 Years of Silicon Alley, celebrating three decades of historic innovation in New York by bringing together the OG builders, founders, funders, and community who helped turn NYC into the tech powerhouse that it is today. Register here.
February 2: Beyond Engagement: Developer Experience, Databases & AI with Jay Gordon, digging into how AI is changing the developer experience from new search techniques to the way we create documentation, learn, and build every day. Register here.
February 4: What’s Next for Fintech and Crypto in 2026, a discussion on the emerging market trends, the evolving regulatory environment, and where the most compelling opportunities may emerge for retail investors. Register here.
February 4: Startup & Wine, for founders, creators, investors, and anyone curious about startups and innovation, hosted in a lounge and centered around wine and conversations about tech and startups. Register here.
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.
