Ask Mayor Michael Bloomberg what business sector is booming in his city, and he’ll not hesitate to answer – ‘Nearly 500 new technology companies have launched in our city since 2007, creating more than 10,000 jobs.’

What’s the fuss about?

It’s no wonder why budding entrepreneurs are choosing “Silicon Alley” as the place for their new business. New York is becoming the new model for how to foster and nurture startup growth through urban planning and policy.
Why not San Francisco? Why not Silicon Valley? What is the secret to New York City’s startup success? Brad Hargreaves, founding partner of the startup co-working space, General Assembly, says there are two parts to this equation:

1. The financial collapse of 2007-2008, and
2. Intelligent public planning and policymaking

The figures

• 40: the percentage spike of start-up financing in New York City
• 500: the estimated number of new technology companies launched in NYC since 2007
• 10,000: the number of jobs in NYC created by these start-ups
• 52,900: number of people in NYC working in the tech sector

Financial Collapse

The brightest coders in the business were working in the tech world when the bubble burst. They were either handed a pink slip or they jumped ship, allowing them the freedom to do what they want. This freedom sparked ingenuity, thus creating the startup explosion. Much of this part of our recent history is explained in Fix Young America, and ebook released in May. In this book, Hargreaves writes, “Software programmers are uniquely suited to start new companies. Over the past ten years, the cost — in time and money — of starting a new technology company has dropped significantly. Whether a technology company is developing new products, selling those products in a new way, or helping people live longer and better lives, the first step in a company’s development often involves writing some software — the realm of programmers.”

New Policy and Public Planning

Public leaders wore rose-colored glasses when they looked New York’s economic collapse. Their proactive decisions helped New York, but are not necessarily advisable for other cities to follow. Unless the situation happens on its own, cities are not advised to tank one industry in favor of another. Rather, Hargreaves says the city can focus on policymaking. New York heavily invested in their startup culture. This is an act that other cities can replicate. To do this, Hargreaves recommends cities focus on four steps:

1. Nurture and develop startup talent.
2. Work towards keeping this talent local.
3. Include startup companies with universities and economic development organizations in dialogue for city planning.
4. Focus on intelligent city planning that facilitates movement and efficiency.

Fresh ideas

• Provide and publicize training for the tech genre
• Students are an investment- focus on training people in their 30s and 40s to become coders. This age group is more likely to have roots and less likely to move away.
• Build a “talent pool” from which startups can draw their new hires
• Examine your public transport systems for their effectiveness and efficiency

What is the best neighborhood in New York City? Of course, the answer depends on who you ask. There are so many variables to consider: rental rates, proximity to work, quality schools, theater availability, etc. With each neighborhood bringing its own rhythm & character to the table, there are many aspects to consider to find the best neighborhood for you. There are, of course, those few neighborhoods which are so amazing, and have so much going for them, they could likely satisfy many of our personal criteria.

One of the best things about New York City is that, thanks to having one of the most extensive, reliable, and economic public transportation systems in the world, your best place to live doesn’t have to be the same place you work, play, party, shop, eat, or do whatever it is you enjoy.

New York City is such a massive, diverse place, multiple neighborhood types can exist in the same area. Are you looking for a single family home with a front and back yard?Look in neighborhoods such as Forest Hills, Riverdale, and Howard Beach where detached homes are prevalent. Is a soaring high-rise apartment building more your style? You’ll find these in Midtown, the Financial District, and Co-op City.

Are you more the artsy type, content to surround yourself with creative neighbors? Look in the direction of Williamsburg and the Lower East Side. Of course, you’ll find less raucous, more refined New Yorkers in the Upper East Side, Riverdale, and Brooklyn Heights.

Do you have to put the needs of others before your own when choosing a place to live? You certainly do if you are a parent of young children. Families with small children tend to make their homes in places such as the Upper West Side, Park Slope, and Greenpoint.

Do the outdoors give you that peaceful, happy feeling? Are you most content when outdoor living is incorporated into your residential choice? If you answered yes, your happy spot could be anywhere near Central Park, Prospect Park, or, for that matter, Rockaway Beach.

While searching for the utopian neighborhood, keep in mind that New York City neighborhoods may show big differences on a block by block basis. Sometimes this is dictated by the presence of stores, bars and restaurants lining the sidewalks. For example, Christopher Street and Barrow Street in the West Village are only a block or two apart, but Christopher Street is a haven for debauchery, while the latter sports quaint charm. Even in Chelsea, the streets are quiet and quaint while the avenues (especially 8th and 9th) can feel like an all-night event.

It’s the city of Wall Street, of global finances, and is the investment center of the Western world. But what about small companies, struggling to make their mark in their respective industries? Is it worth the relatively high office rent and high costs of professionals accustomed to New York wages? In an age of the Internet facilitating global communication and interaction, is it necessary to be in New York City to be at the center of it all?

It depends on what sort of business you’re starting. If you’re manufacturing and selling cowboy boots, for example, NYC is far less preferable to Houston. If you’re reselling barn-board to high-end furniture retailers, you’d do best to be, for example, in upstate New York where you’re able to straddle both worlds. But if you’re at all involved in technology, communications or finance, it’s worth the higher start-up costs because of the resources you’ll have at your fingertips. New York is one of the only cities in the U.S. that hosts an “Entrepreneur Week,” where young companies are invited to network and make the connections that enable them to evolve. With technology hubs, such as For Your Imagination in Chelsea, Manhattan, or Ultra Light Start-ups, also in Manhattan, young technology companies can share ideas and help each other grow in the spirit of technological interaction and exchange. At places such as The Hatchery, technology companies can pitch ideas to each other, network, and receive valuable feedback. These examples of networking possibilities are what make New York prime for doing business. Additionally, hubs of culture like New York City provide entrepreneurs with inspiration that can be invaluable for new ideas and methods of implementing them. If you’re interested in moving or starting your company in New York, check out sites like Craigslist for office space availability, and do some research into what sorts of unique networking and incubating possibilities the city offers for your industry. If you can make it there you can make it anywhere—so it’s most likely worth looking into.

Sulzberger described the subscriptions as “an investment in our future. It will allow us to develop new sources of revenue to strengthen our ability to continue our journalistic mission as well as undertake digital innovations that will enable us to provide you with high-quality journalism on whatever device you choose.”

The Times is offering three digital subscription packages, which vary by device ? computer, smartphone, etc.

Some of the scheduled speakers include:
– Christian Heilmann, Developer Evangelist, Mozilla
– John Fallows, CTO and Co-Founder, Kaazing
– Jonas Jacobi, CEO and Co-Founder, Kaazing
– Jan Kleinert, Developer Advocate, Google Chrome
– James Pearce, Senior Director of Developer Relations, Sencha
– Kevin Hoyt, Group Manager Developer Evangelism, Adobe
– Jen Simmons, Host of The Web Ahead on 5by5.tv
– Rob Larsen, Senior Specialist, Platform at Sapient Global Markets

HTML5 Live will take place at the New World Stages, 340 West 50th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenue at World Wise Plaza.

Join executives at Royal Deer Design by registering today. You will be able to connect with the community of designers and web-developers who are dedicated to building cross-platform, cross-browser, interactive web apps for some of today’s leading projects. You’ll gain readily usable information, examples and demos, great giveaways, networking opportunities, and even a few surprises along the way.

That sounds like an another good news for New Yorkers. More than a week ago we mentioned about Wi-Fi coming to New York City Subway.

Possible prices:
– an access to the Times for a 24 hour period will probably cost $2
– monthly web access – $10
– monthly access via web, smartphone app, iPad app and eReader – $15

Thanks to this project, riders in New York City will enjoy mobile phone and Wi-Fi service on the platform, mezzanines and portions of the subway tunnels. Wireless providers such as AT&T, Verizon and Sprint will pay for access to the network.

Subways in Singapore, Berlin and Tokyo few years ago started providing to their travelers Wi-Fi. Plans to bring cell phone and wireless Internet service to New York City subways was announced in 2007 but then nothing took place because of a shortage of funding.

• West Side Highway – below 59th Street along Eleventh Avenue.
• Piers 54 and Pier 84 – West St. and 13th St. / West St. and 44th St.
• Hoboken – there will be also a street festival on Frank Sinatra Drive, between 1st and 7th Streets
• Water Taxi Cruise – Water Taxi?s annual Fourth of July cruise ($100 ticket). South Street Seaport, Pier 17
• The Jewel (open-bar Fourth of July cruise – tickets are $150) – 23rd St. and FDR Dr.
• Clipper City (sailboat BBQ – $350) – South Street Seaport, Pier 17
• Roof of Hudson Terrace – 621 W. 46th St., nr. Eleventh Ave.
• Press Lounge at Ink48 (rooftop bar -$225) – 653 Eleventh Ave., at 48th St
• The Sky Room at the Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Times Square – 330 W. 40th St., nr. Ninth Ave.

Independence Day (Fourth of July) is a federal holiday commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. wiki

Right now you can connect to AT&T WiFi in Starbucks stores, and it is free for 2 hours if you have a registered Starbucks card. Also if you are an AT&T customer, you can access Wifi for free. However, if you are not a registered Starbucks or AT&T customer, there is a fee of $3.99 for two hours of Wi-Fi access.