New York City news and trends

NYC Lawmakers Aim to Lead Nation in Establishing AI Safety Rules
Artificial Intelligence // October 05, 2026

New York City is positioning itself as a leader in an effort to slow down the development of artificial intelligence (AI), the Wall Street Journal reported Monday (Oct. 5). The New York City Council held a hearing Monday in which lawmakers heard from, and in some cases...

New York City Gives the Public Bathroom a Tap Card
The Weekender // September 26, 2026

New York City has found a new use for the tap card: opening a public toilet. The city is installing 17 modular bathrooms across its five boroughs. Visitors can unlock a door with a text message, QR code, app or card. The bathrooms are free, which may...

Meta Expands Physical Retail Presence as Virtual Spaces Close
Facebook / Meta // March 18, 2026

Meta is reportedly expanding its physical retail push by opening a new Manhattan store. The tech giant has signed a 10-year lease on a five-story building on Fifth Avenue, Bloomberg News reported Wednesday (March 18), citing a statement from the company. Meta in 2024 tested a pop-up store in...

Walmart Increasing NYC Sales Despite No Physical Stores
eCommerce // December 26, 2025

Walmart is reportedly gaining a growing amount of online business in New York City. The retailer is making these gains even as it has been blocked from building physical stores in the city due to opposition from labor unions and activists, the Financial Times reported...

Interviews & Exclusives
Coronavirus Fear Infects NYC Ridesharing

February 19, 2020
The emergence of a novel threat — particularly one like the COVID-19 coronavirus that originated in Wuhan, China — has a way of bringing out some of the best and most inventive traits in people. That is observable in the medical workers who have put their health and lives on the line, rescue workers who have streamlined […]

Visa, Chase Team To Launch Contactless At NYC Mass Transit

May 22, 2019
The first time is a charm. In fact, the first time must be a charm. No, we are not talking about first dates or so-called “meet cutes” in movies. We...

What’s Next For Real Estate In Amazon’s HQ2 Cities?

November 14, 2018
Build it and they will come — in this case, times two. Apologies for the cliché (some of us miss baseball already), but that’s the story with Amazon and its...

Obligo Founder: Security Deposits Are Due For A Payments Upgrade

June 12, 2018
The joy of renting a new apartment also comes with misery: Handing over a large sum of money to the landlord for a security deposit, which then sits useless in...

Quick Reads
NYC Lawmakers Aim to Lead Nation in Establishing AI Safety Rules

October 05, 2026
New York City is positioning itself as a leader in an effort to slow down the development of artificial intelligence (AI), the Wall Street Journal reported Monday (Oct. 5). The New York City Council held a hearing Monday in which lawmakers heard from, and in some cases grilled, representatives of OpenAI, Anthropic, Meta and Google as well as former employees of AI […]

Meta Expands Physical Retail Presence as Virtual Spaces Close

March 18, 2026
Meta is reportedly expanding its physical retail push by opening a new Manhattan store. The tech giant has signed a 10-year lease on a five-story building on Fifth Avenue, Bloomberg News reported Wednesday...

Walmart Increasing NYC Sales Despite No Physical Stores

December 26, 2025
Walmart is reportedly gaining a growing amount of online business in New York City. The retailer is making these gains even as it has been blocked from building physical stores...

DoorDash, Uber Challenge NYC Law Requiring Tip Option at Checkout

December 11, 2025
DoorDash and Uber have sued to block a New York City law that requires delivery platforms to ask consumers to tip at checkout, instead of after the delivery, and to...