Image Credit: Small Business Services
On November 22, 2023, the Department of Small Business Services announced the launch of Live NYC Map, an interactive database that includes a searchable map of the city’s small businesses and public-facing locations. The map launches ahead of Small Business Saturday, the part of the Thanksgiving holiday weekend where consumers are encouraged to explore and support local businesses for their holiday shopping.
The map features over 150,000 storefronts and public places. It includes storefront occupancy data since 2018, business contact information, social media links and business websites, and maps and reports showing the composition of diverse and unique businesses across neighborhoods. The map will serve as the engine for the City’s Shop Your City website, which helps New Yorkers learn about local small businesses.
The map is made possible through a partnership between Live XYZ and Small Business Services. Every 90 days, Live XYZ maps the city through door-to-door street teams which monitor retail and commercial occupancy and vacancy data and take photographs of every public-facing space in the city. The map data is updated daily and can serve as a tool for City agencies, business improvement districts and other community partners and organizations to determine what resources are needed for a current neighborhood. Agencies can also use the Live NYC Map to identify contacts for educational outreach about upcoming projects, initiatives, or programs. Agencies currently using the Map include the Departments of Design and Construction, City Planning, Transportation, Finance, Health, Sanitation, and the Economic Development Corporation. All City agencies and business improvement districts are expected to be users of the map by the end of 2023.
The map can be accessed here.
Small Business Services Commissioner Kevin D. Kim stated, “Whether it’s Small Business Saturday, or any other day of the week, shopping local just got a whole lot easier. Powered by the Live NYC Map, our Shop Your City website is now the most complete and accurate map of small businesses and public places across New York in our city’s history. I want to thank Live XYZ for their partnership in making this possible. Together we just took a big leap forward in making New York City the City of Yes.”
Live XYZ Founder and CEO Jason Greenwald stated, “We are thrilled to announce our partnership with the City of New York to provide a comprehensive and accurately maintained dataset of every storefront on every block. Live XYZ data serves as the bedrock upon which vital systems, programs, agencies, and organizations rely. This transformative initiative will drive economic development, promote neighborhoods, enhance public safety, and fuel progress across the five boroughs. We are proud to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of New York City.”
By: Veronica Rose (Veronica is the Editor of CityLand and a New York Law School graduate, Class of 2018.)