financial industry: book publishers,
tech start-ups, big corporations and
small businesses have established
themselves and thrived here. In
2019, Lower Manhattan’s private
sector employment numbers
surpassed what they had been
before 9/11. Just as important, our
job base is now diverse, growing
and resilient. In 1995 financial
services provided roughly two
thirds of the area’s jobs; today that
sector makes up only one-third
of our workforce. That’s really
good news, since a diverse job
base is a strong one. Also, today,
some 62,000 New Yorkers call this
neighborhood home. We are truly
an exemplar of a live/work/play
community.
Lower Manhattan’s resilience
and grit, its grace and authenticity
continue to inspire and surprise. We
welcome all that the future holds.
Jessica Lappin, President
150 Broadway
lmhq.nyc
SPOTLIGHT ON LOWER MANHATTAN
This year, as the Alliance for
Downtown New York celebrates
its 25th anniversary, we have been
reflecting on how our work has
helped to set the bar for what a
neighborhood can be.
Back in 1995, when the Downtown
Alliance was founded, Lower
Manhattan’s storefronts were
shuttered and splattered with graffiti.
Almost a quarter of the office space
was empty. Only 14,000 people
called the area home back then, and
those who spent their days working
Downtown had no reason to stick
around when the sun went down.
The Downtown Alliance started its
work with a fierce focus on helping
turn things around. Out of the box,
we hired an inventive operations
team and dispatched squads of
sanitation workers to make Lower
Manhattan shine. Public safety
officers were hired and assigned to
specific beats along the cobblestoned
and winding streets. By the late ‘90s,
once dark office buildings began
to light up, and outdated vacant
office buildings were converted into
apartments and homes.
Over the past quarter-century,
our operations department,
along with our research staff
and communications team, have
tirelessly championed this unique
corner of New York City. We’ve
had great partners: property
and business owners, residents,
elected officials, and city and
state agencies. And, we’ve had a
dedicated board of directors to
work with us every step of the way.
Today, the district’s employment
base has expanded far beyond the
Host Your Next Event At LMHQ
Sincerely,
Schneps Media January 23, 2020 23