Tuesday, May 27, 2025

May 27, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 9 minutes

Tuesday, May 27, 2025 

In today’s digest, NYC workers return to the office, summer returns to the city, and Matthattanhenge returns to the skyline. 🌇

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  • A federal court judge today temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s efforts to force New York to end congestion pricing, meaning the tolling program will remain in place until at least June 9. (New York Times)

    • The judge noted that the MTA “showed a likelihood of success” in its case to maintain congestion pricing.

    • Meanwhile, this newsletter editor still can’t get rid of his own congestion this allergy season. 🤧

  • Summer is unofficially here, and there are plenty of free and low-budget ways to experience the sunny season in NYC. 

    • Check out these free concerts, movie showings, and festivals happening throughout the city. (New York Times)

    • Other budget-friendly things to add to your summer bucket list: Fourth of July fireworks, the rides at Coney Island, and various museums like the New York Transit Museum. 🚂 (Gothamist)

  • Coming soon to an Instagram story near you (probably): Manhattanhenge. The twice-a-year event in which the setting sun lines up with Manhattan's street grid will take place this Wednesday (half-sun) and Thursday (full-sun) at 8:13pm and 8:12pm, respectively. (ABC New York)


In other reading:

  • Former U.S. Congressman Charles B. Rangel, dies at 94 (New York Amsterdam News)

  • At the 2025 Pet Gala, maltipoos and pomeranians dressed like your favorite fashion stars (Vogue)

  • This city is ready for some fro-yo (Grub Street)

New Yorkers are leading the national charge (back) to the office. According to the latest data from Placer.ai, NYC is #1 among major U.S. metros in the return to office, with Manhattan foot traffic hitting its highest levels since early 2020. Office visits in Midtown and FiDi are up sharply — even surpassing pre-pandemic benchmarks in some submarkets.

Why it matters:

  • Hybrid is here to stay: Office attendance is hovering around 60% of pre-pandemic levels nationally, but NYC is bucking that trend with higher in-office days and a broader embrace of hybrid work models. 

    • Office traffic on Tuesdays and Wednesdays in NYC were actually busier last month than they were during the same period of 2019.

    • Meanwhile, Fridays and Mondays remained significantly below pre-COVID benchmarks.

  • City infrastructure is adapting: The MTA’s subway ridership is climbing (approaching 4 million daily riders again), and the city’s investment in transit-oriented development is making it easier to mix WFH flexibility with in-person collaboration.

  • Business travel and events are back: As offices fill up, so do conference halls. NYC’s hospitality and commercial real estate sectors are seeing clear signs of revival.

📊 NYC’s momentum is tangible economic activity. Think: more commuters = more spending at delis, coffee shops, and dry cleaners.

What this means for the tech community:

  • Companies are likely watching this closely, especially as commercial leasing picks up for AI and advanced tech firms that still value IRL collaboration.

  • Founders balancing flexible work cultures with face time expectations may find NYC’s new hybrid norms useful as a blueprint.

The takeaway? The rumors of NYC’s office extinction were greatly exaggerated. Whether you’re building, investing, or operating, New York is proving it’s still the place to show up. Literally. 👔📈

In other reading:

  • How AI is helping job seekers pivot to new careers (Wall Street Journal)

  • MicroGrid Networks’ COO on how NYC’s grid can handle AI (Tech Brew)

  • iAltA, an NYC-based private markets infrastructure company, raised $20 million in funding from WestCap and founders Laurence A. Tosi, Scott Ganeles, and Bill Sherman.

  • Mura, an NYC-based commercial field service operations company, raised $6 million in funding. Lerer Hippeau and Level One Fund led the $4.5 million seed round. Lerer Hippeau and Levante Capital led the $1.5 million pre-seed round.

  • Superblocks, an NYC-based enterprise app development startup, raised $23 million in new Series A funding from Kleiner Perkins, Spark Capital, Greenoaks, and Meritech Capital.

  • ⭐ June 2-8: NY Tech Week, a decentralized tech conference featuring 1,000+ events throughout the city. Get Tech:NYC’s guide here. ⭐

    • June 3: NYC AI Demos with Tech:NYC, Pensar, and Two Trees, ​featuring technical demos from well known enterprises and early-stage startups. Request an invite here.

    • June 4: J.P. Morgan Payments x Tech:NYC Fintech Media Breakfast, bringing together leading tech journalists to explore how fintech innovation is transforming industries and shaping media coverage. Request an invite here.

    • June 6: Decoded Futures + Tech:NYC Social Impact AI Showcase, an inspiring showcase of how NYC nonprofits are using AI to solve real-world challenges across the social sector. Request an invite here.

  • May 28: Go for Growth: Mastering Strategy, Technology, People, and Culture for Long-Term Success, a virtual event for pre-IPO and growth-focused companies to get insights, connections, and a roadmap to scale. Register here.

  • May 28: FirstGen Founders Powering American Dynamism, a gathering spotlighting the immigrant and first-gen entrepreneurs building the next wave of American industries. Register here.

  • May 29: Tech Brew’s Navigating the Intersection of Energy and Transportation event, exploring the future of transportation and energy with experts in charging infrastructure, grid management, and energy resilience. Register here.

  • May 29: Exploring AI and Robotics Applications in the Physical World, a look at how AI and robotics are transforming the physical world, from warehouses, sports arenas, restaurants to spa experiences, the oceans, and more. Register here.

  • May 30: NYC Coffee Club for early-stage B2B SaaS founders & funders, a no-stress way to connect with NYC VCs and founders. Register here.

  • June 2: AI Startup Pitch Day, where NYC’s top pre-seed AI startups will take the stage to pitch their startups to a roomful of 100 investors with a grand prize of $50K. Investors, register here. 

  • June 4: Generative AI in the Built Environment, a networking breakfast and panel exploring how generative AI is reshaping design, development, and operations across the built world. Register here.

  • June 5: Runway’s third annual AI Film Festival, a celebration of the art and artists embracing new and emerging AI tools for filmmaking. Register here.

  • June 18: AI Show Not Tell - Ditch The Deck, a social meet-up curated for NYC-area technologists, founders, developers, and investors. Register here.

  • June 25: Techie Tapas, to give techies a space to network, collaborate, and build community. Register here.

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