As one of the world’s most creative and innovative cities, New York is certainly not alien to the concept of collaborative and shared working spaces. According to a recent real estate survey, Manhattan alone is home to more than 5 million square feet of shared office space, and the figures are also high (and continue to increase) in boroughs like Brooklyn, which has approximately 1 million square feet of such space.

Over the past five years, New York City has witnessed the significant growth of co-working spaces that cater to very specific niches, from female-only spaces to those exclusively created to attract graphic designers or writers. New spaces are constantly appearing across the city, offering a range of fabulous benefits in an effort to target specific niche communities and to bring real value and opportunities for growth to the professionals using these spaces.

In this article we take a look at some of the most interesting, cool, and quirky perks offered by some of the top co-working spaces in New York.

Spacious defines itself as a co-working-hospitality hybrid model that provides workspaces in select New York restaurants when they are closed to diners. Perks include high-speed WiFi, private dining rooms used to conduct private calls or meetings complimentary tea and coffee, and food and drink discounts at each restaurant.

Manhattan has one of the most dynamic economies in the United States. This New York City borough ranks high in terms of employment numbers and innovation, and is home to more than 125,000 firms. If you are looking to set up a business in Manhattan, this quick guide will provide you with information on the key support services available.

Financing and Incentives for businesses in Manhattan

The Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone Development Corporation is a good starting point for local business owners in need of funding. This organization offers business investment loans, small business loans, and microloans ranging from $500 to $250,000.  Find out more information at www.umez.org/.

Sales & Use Tax Exemption applies to eligible Manhattan business owners who purchase equipment, furniture and/or fixtures for new office premises. The premises must be leased for at least 10 years and must be located at the World Trade Center Site, Battery Park City, or the World Financial Center.

A rent abatement program is available to tenants of office or commercial premises located in a specific area of Lower Manhattan (Zone 4 or the areas between Murray, Frankfort, South and West Streets and along Battery Place). This program applies to commercial premises built before 1975 and implies a rent reduction of $2.5/ square foot. For further information, contact the administering agency (the New York City Department of Finance). The CRP (Commercial Revitalization Program) is similar program also managed by the same agency. This scheme aims to boost commercial occupancy rates in designated parts of the Lower Manhattan area. Some of the incentives offered by this program include 3 and 5-year rent tax abatements on new, expanded, or renewed lease agreements.

After suffering the negative impact of the financial recession, the city of New York seems to be back on track with regards to economic and business growth. In particular, the borough of Manhattan is considered the economic engine of this US city. For decades, Manhattan has enjoyed a reputation for being one of the world’s top business locations thanks to positive factors like the relatively low cost of doing business and a highly skilled and educated workforce. All these factors impact the commercial real estate market. To learn more, read through our overview of the local commercial property market and through our insights into the office sub-sector.

An overview of the Manhattan commercial property market

Even during the worst of the recession, the real estate market in Manhattan experienced below-average decline rates. Low unemployment rates have helped keep the local commercial property market healthy, and in fact, 2014 was consider a banner year for the real estate market in Manhattan. A New York Times article affirmed that the recent market rebound has brought transaction levels very close to pre-2008 rates, mainly thanks to the strong performance of the retail and office sub-sectors.

Since 2012, nearly 60,000 new jobs have been created in and around Manhattan, with the vast majority of them being office based. This fact has been consistently boosting demand for suitable office space, generating opportunities for increased activity levels and for the creation of new office developments. In addition, in July 2014 real estate analysts predicted that within the following two years, more than 1.55 million square feet of brand new retail space would be delivered within the boundaries of Manhattan, mainly around Fulton Street and South Street Seaport.

Manhattan been New York City’s most successful borough for a quite some time. One of the reasons for Manhattan’s success is its ports and trade businesses. Along with the incoming and outgoing trade, there are the associated business that pop up such as customs brokers and trade agents. Thanks to its seaports, Manhattan has always had a strong financial foundation to rely on.

Manhattan is also known for its skyscrapers and dynamic downtown region. The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 destroyed the World Trade center and its iconic Twin Towers. But in place of the destruction, another iconic Manhattan office complex has risen and stands as a testament to the durability of the Manhattan economy. With so much going for it at any given time, it is easy to understand why people are so excited about the economic future of Manhattan.

Main Economic Drivers In Manhattan

The seaports are always alive with activity, but the main economic driver in Manhattan is its downtown real estate. When the real estate values in Manhattan fell in 2011, the area experienced a financial challenge that saw a major part of its economy go stagnant. But as downtown property values increase, so do the fortunes of the Manhattan economy.

Another economic driver for Manhattan has been the significant success of the Start-Up NY campaign. This is an initiative by New York State to entice technology and medical start-ups to base themselves in New York State colleges and other parts of the state. The result has been a significant increase in technology companies in Manhattan’s downtown office spaces and this new influx of business is driving up the real estate prices.

If you plan on throwing an office Christmas party in New York City, then you will want to go all out to turn your party into a special event. As you put your party together, there are a few guidelines you should follow to make it easier for your guests to have a good time.

Places To Have Your Party

New York City is filled with great places where you can have your office Christmas party. There are five places in particular that will offer you and your employees a memorable Christmas party event.

Minus5 Ice Bar

The Mius5 Ice Bar is made completely of ice, but it is open all year round. This chilling venue is ideal for a memorable office Christmas party.

The Elm

The Elm is a relatively new restaurant in Brooklyn that has been growing quickly in popularity. It features four-star food and an excellent wait staff.

Malbec and Tango House

The Malbec and Tango House has a very rural feel to it, which makes it unique for New York City. It has a larger hall that will definitely create atmosphere for your office Christmas party.

Andaz Wall Street

The Andaz Wall Street room is fun because it is a throwback to the 1960’s. You feel like you walked back in time the moment you walk through the door. This room could bring back some nostalgic Christmas memories for your employees.

Updated 7th October, 2014 from Archive 2010

The City of New York is home to a number of CBD’s or Central Business Districts, each providing unique business opportunities and incentives.

Midtown Manhattan

Midtown Manhattan is located in the central portion of the city of Manhattan. It is home to some of the most important business centers in the world, including the Empire State Building and Chrysler Building. The majority of NYC’s skyscrapers and business buildings are located in Midtown Manhattan. Other popular areas in Midtown Manhattan include Times Square, Fifth Avenue and Broadway. The United Nations Headquarters and Rockefeller Center are also located in Midtown Manhattan.

Lower Manhattan

Lower Manhattan is home to the “Financial District” of NYC. Lower Manhattan is also known as the “financial capital” of the world. Anyone who is an investment banker in NYC likely works in Lower Manhattan. The Twin Trade Towers are located in Lower Manhattan, and the 9/11 memorial is now located there. Wall Street is another popular street located in Lower Manhattan. It is common to see busy investment bankers walking around the New York Stock Exchange during the day.

Surrounding Lower Manhattan, one can find areas like Greenwich Village, Little Italy, Chinatown, TriBeCa, West Village, the Meatpacking District and East Village. Beautiful, gated residential communities can also be found near the Financial District. These developments include Gramercy Park and Peter Cooper Village.

New York City is one of the top business locations in the world and plays host to some of the most important business conferences and seminars annually. Below you will find some of the key business conferences for 2014.

NYC Real Estate Investor Orientation

Numerous entrepreneurs either come from or live and work in New York City. These are examples of just three who are famous throughout the world.

Josephine Esther Mentzer—Estée Lauder—was born in Queens, New York in 1946 and learned assertive selling techniques, promotion of quality in products, attention to the appearance of the product, and perfectionism from helping in her father’s hardware store. She acquired her skills in producing lotions and skin creams from an uncle who was a famous European skin specialist. As his apprentice, she helped him develop new products using natural ingredients.

She married Joseph Lauder and they founded Estée Lauder, Inc. in 1946. The initial beauty products they created were skin treatments, rouge, and makeup. Advertising agencies didn’t want the account with its budget of only $50,000. The Lauders decided to provide samples to those attending fashion shows and through mailings. It worked well to establish their company. By 1973 they had sales of $100,000 and employed 1,000+ people. Sales of cosmetics and fragrances by Estée Lauder became international by 1960.

10. GE Building
The GE building is located in Midtown Manhattan, and is considered an art deco masterpiece. It is located specifically at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, which has led to it being referred to “30 Rock” colloquially. The building is 850 feet tall, and is the 33rd tallest building in the entire United States. It is most famously the home of the television network NBC, and it has been featured prominently in many television shows and movies throughout the years.

9. Trump World Tower
Trump World Tower is a residential building, and it stands as the tallest all-residential building in both the city of New York and the United States as a whole. It is listed as the 79th tallest building in the world, and was widely opposed by many officials and television commentators in the lead-up to its construction. It has 72 floors, but there are 90 floor buttons on the elevator panels.

8. 8 Spruce Street
The 8 Spruce Street building is also known as “New York by Gehry” after its architect Frank Gehry. The building is 870 feet tall, and is built with a unique glass/steel facade that resembles rippling water. 8 Spruce Street functions as a residential building, with 898 units being housed within its walls.

7. Citigroup Center
The Citigroup Center building is commonly referred to as simply “601 Lexington Avenue”, and was opened in 1977. An air of controversy surrounded the construction of the building when it was discovered that the building was constructed with an engineering flaw. Engineers did not account for “quartered” wind pressure, on the building, resulting in a 160% greater amount of pressure on joints than was intended.

6. 40 Wall Street
40 Wall Street is a 70 story skyscraper in Manhattan. The building was designed by H. Craig Severance, with construction being completed in 1930. One of the most interesting aspects of this building is that construction was completed after only 11 months. It was the tallest building in the world for only one month, when it was beaten out in height by the Chrysler Building.

5. American International Building
The American International Building was constructed in 1932 to serve as an office center. The building was constructed by the Cities Service Company with many design elements that are intended to portray the building as a snow-capped mountain. As a result, the building was originally known as the Cities Service Building, and has been the tallest building in the downtown area for much of the past 100 years.

4. New York Times Building
One of the youngest buildings in the New York City skyline, the New York Times Building is actually home to a number of different publishing companies. It also serves as an office center for other, non-publishing related businesses. Completed in 2007, the building cost $850 million. It has 52 floors, however some of the floors are taller than traditional floors to accommodate for retail space.

3. Chrysler Building
The Chrysler building was completed in 1930, and it is known as one of the largest examples of art deco that can be found in the world. It was the tallest building in the world in the 11 months between its completion and that of the Empire State Building. It was paid for entirely out of pocket by Walter Chrysler so that his children would inherit it after he died.

2. Bank of America Tower
The Bank of America Tower cost upwards of $1 billion to complete, and is one of the most uniquely designed buildings dominating the Manhattan skyline. After its completion in 2009, the tower was profiled on the National Geographic program “Megastructures”. In 2010, it was named the “Best Tall Building in the Americas” by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.

1. Empire State Building
The Empire State Building was the tallest building in New York City until the completion of the World Trade Center. After the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001, the Empire State Building was once again the tallest building in New York. It is designed in the art deco style, and is considered a cultural icon of New York, which has bestowed “landmark” status to it.

PricewaterhouseCoopers

Every year, PricewaterhouseCoopers hires on about 2800 interns, and they pay very handsomely as far as internships go. They may not pay the most, but they are one of the most sought after internships in the entire country, let alone New York City. Most of the popularity is due to the fact that PricewaterhouseCoopers has kept much more respectability during the housing and financial crisis than other accounting firms in New York City. PricewaterCooper has its head offices  in Manhattan.

Ernst and Young

The Ernst and Young internship is highly prized, with one of the higher hourly wages of the New York City internships on this list. They pay a total of $9000 for the duration of the internship, and a whopping 98% of their interns go on to find full time employment. They hire around 2200 interns a year and you can apply for the internship through their website.

Deloitte and Touche

The third accounting firm on this list, Deloitte and Touche is one of the lesser known accounting businesses offering internships on this list. While they may not be well known, their internship is one of the most sought after in the city, with almost 1200 interns taken on every year. You can apply for the internship via their website or contact them at their offices in the Garment District.

Goldman Sachs

Goldman Sachs is the infamous investment banking firm that just about everyone has heard of by now. Despite their history, Goldman Sachs has remained one of the most highly prized internships in the city, and offers some of the hightest pay out of all the internships here. They hire very selectively, so you should apply at their website as soon as applications are accepted. Goldman Sachs head offices can be found in the Wall Street area.

KPMG

KPMG, situated in Midtown Manhattan, is another accounting firm, and it offers quite a few benefits that make it very popular to those seeking out an internship. KPMG’s internship program pays about $8500 for the term, and comes with a notoriously high level of on-the-job training. People mostly come to KPMG for the experience it provides with its internship, and you can apply through your school or their website.

JP Morgan

As an investment bank, JP Morgan has grown into one of the most powerful businesses in the world. The interns at JP Morgan benefit from the highest pay of any other intern in New York City, raking in almost $15000 after their internship. This high pay means that they expect the best, and the application process for this internship is extremely strict. If you want to get into this internship, then you need to get your application in on time, without any errors. You can do this through their website.

Merrill Lynch

There are a lot of reasons that interns come to Merrill Lynch for their internship. One of the biggest reasons is honestly the exclusivity of the internship program. Merrill Lynch, with offices in the Theatre District, hires on some of the fewest interns of any other Investment Bank, but they pay handsomely at about $12000 for the internship.

Lehman Brothers

Lehman Brothers hires on a little over 500 interns for its program every year. Interns at Lehman Brothers can expect to make about $29 an hour here, which will work out to around $12000 for the duration of the internship. This is the highest hourly pay of any other internship in New York City. To apply, you can either go through your college career counselor or apply online directly through their website.

Accenture

Accenture is a consulting firm, and they have a competitive internship program that is the most popular in the city for consulting internships. They only hire on 125 interns a year in this work-oriented internship, and they pay handsomely for the internship. Their website is the best place to apply, since they are constantly changing the requirements for application.

L’Oreal USA

Famed consumer goods company L’Oreal hires on around 100 interns for its internship program. Their pay is classified as “mid-range” for the higher-end internships in New York City, with pay being around $10000 during the internship. The biggest perk of this internship is the experience it gives you working with an international consumer goods business, and the internship helps you to get accustomed to many aspects of doing business in this arena.