Downtown Brooklyn emerging as key part of city's Silicon Alley
- Ivan Pereira for amny.com May 19th, 2013
- Source: http://www.amny.com/urbanite-1.812039/downtown-brooklyn-emerging-as-key-part-of-city-s-silicon-alley-1.5294655
When it comes to the city's tech future, Brooklyn is starting to give Manhattan some serious competition. More than 200 start-ups have set up shop in DUMBO, downtown Brooklyn and the Brooklyn Navy Yard, according to the city's digital jobs map that was created this year by the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment. That number is going to keep growing, according to city leaders.
Aside from being a go-to spot for young, up-and-coming professionals, experts say Brooklyn's real estate allows for potentially limitless growth and innovation.
"That is where you bridge these worlds and create new potential," said Rachel Haot, the city's chief digital officer.
While tech behemoths, like Google, have set up shop in Manhattan, Haot said there are a lot of companies who see advantages in Brooklyn.
Haot added developers who reshaped Downtown Brooklyn made a point of including amenities like bike racks, coffee shops and Internet friendly services for freshman businesses.
"The real estate developers are looking for ways to make their properties more attractive to tech companies," she said, noting that cheaper rents also helped sell Brooklyn neighborhoods to companies.
