NEW YORK—The Brooklyn neighborhood known as “DUMBO” (Down under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) went wireless on Thursday, with free, full coverage Wi-Fi in its parks and plazas.
The DUMBO Business Improvement District (BID), Two Trees Management Company, and NYCwireless teamed up in a public-private partnership to provide Wi-Fi to the public space of DUMBO. The Wi-Fi signal covers all streets, parks, and plazas in the district, including Brooklyn Bridge Park, the archway under the Manhattan Bridge, and the Pearl Street Triangle.
“We are encouraging people to step out of their offices and homes and engage with one another and the neighborhood in new and different ways,” said Alexandria Sica, executive director of DUMBO BID.
The leaders of the project feel that this will encourage new businesses and innovation throughout the district.
“Today free Wi-Fi is an essential component of public space design, and we would expect DUMBO’s strong workforce made up of entrepreneurial, early tech adopters, largely between the ages of 22 and 40, as well as many creative businesses, artists … will take full advantage of this new neighborhood amenity,” said Tucker Reed of Two Trees.
The archway under the Manhattan Bridge was already filled with people on their laptops, smart phones, and tablets.
“It’s really fast, faster than at home,” Isabel Deixel said, while sitting under the Manhattan Bridge archway. “The [Brooklyn Bridge] park used to have [Wi-Fi], but it was really spotty. And there’s shade here, it’s really nice.”
Her friend Doneliza Joaquin agreed and preferred the Wi-Fi over her mobile network. “It’s much faster than 3G.”
Local business owner Alison Oblonsky said the free Wi-Fi on the streets will be great for business as well.
“It’s just another vehicle that keeps people in DUMBO when they’re visiting,” she said. She thinks the Wi-Fi will give people coming down to DUMBO for meetings a reason to stay because they can finish their work in the area, and tourists would be able to look up attractions and shops from anywhere.
Oblonsky said she’s already been using the Wi-Fi herself. “[Business owners] can come out here and we’d still be connected. Pretty much every business has its own internal [Wi-Fi], but it’s nice to be able to come outside. We all have 3G, but that’s not fast enough. With Wi-Fi, if I want to step out of my office and do other work, I can just come down here.”
Regina Myer, president of Brooklyn Bridge Park, anticipates a tremendous number of visitors to the area over this summer, with the upcoming opening of Jane’s Carousel, plus in the park, and the over 1,000 people an hour who use the Brooklyn Bridge staircase in the summer.
“Visitors can log on to learn about Brooklyn Bridge Park’s amenities and find local restaurants and events to get the most out of their DUMBO experience,” said Myer.
Upon connecting to DUMBO’s Wi-Fi, the secure network will prompt the user to create an account.
“One day this area will rival Silicon Valley in terms of high-tech ingenuity—so it’s only natural that DUMBO is the first neighborhood to be truly connected 24/7,” said Marty Markowitz, Brooklyn borough president.
The DUMBO Business Improvement District (BID), Two Trees Management Company, and NYCwireless teamed up in a public-private partnership to provide Wi-Fi to the public space of DUMBO. The Wi-Fi signal covers all streets, parks, and plazas in the district, including Brooklyn Bridge Park, the archway under the Manhattan Bridge, and the Pearl Street Triangle.
“We are encouraging people to step out of their offices and homes and engage with one another and the neighborhood in new and different ways,” said Alexandria Sica, executive director of DUMBO BID.
The leaders of the project feel that this will encourage new businesses and innovation throughout the district.
“Today free Wi-Fi is an essential component of public space design, and we would expect DUMBO’s strong workforce made up of entrepreneurial, early tech adopters, largely between the ages of 22 and 40, as well as many creative businesses, artists … will take full advantage of this new neighborhood amenity,” said Tucker Reed of Two Trees.
The archway under the Manhattan Bridge was already filled with people on their laptops, smart phones, and tablets.
“It’s really fast, faster than at home,” Isabel Deixel said, while sitting under the Manhattan Bridge archway. “The [Brooklyn Bridge] park used to have [Wi-Fi], but it was really spotty. And there’s shade here, it’s really nice.”
Her friend Doneliza Joaquin agreed and preferred the Wi-Fi over her mobile network. “It’s much faster than 3G.”
Local business owner Alison Oblonsky said the free Wi-Fi on the streets will be great for business as well.
“It’s just another vehicle that keeps people in DUMBO when they’re visiting,” she said. She thinks the Wi-Fi will give people coming down to DUMBO for meetings a reason to stay because they can finish their work in the area, and tourists would be able to look up attractions and shops from anywhere.
Oblonsky said she’s already been using the Wi-Fi herself. “[Business owners] can come out here and we’d still be connected. Pretty much every business has its own internal [Wi-Fi], but it’s nice to be able to come outside. We all have 3G, but that’s not fast enough. With Wi-Fi, if I want to step out of my office and do other work, I can just come down here.”
Regina Myer, president of Brooklyn Bridge Park, anticipates a tremendous number of visitors to the area over this summer, with the upcoming opening of Jane’s Carousel, plus in the park, and the over 1,000 people an hour who use the Brooklyn Bridge staircase in the summer.
“Visitors can log on to learn about Brooklyn Bridge Park’s amenities and find local restaurants and events to get the most out of their DUMBO experience,” said Myer.
Upon connecting to DUMBO’s Wi-Fi, the secure network will prompt the user to create an account.
“One day this area will rival Silicon Valley in terms of high-tech ingenuity—so it’s only natural that DUMBO is the first neighborhood to be truly connected 24/7,” said Marty Markowitz, Brooklyn borough president.
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