#seth pinsky

Downtown Brooklyn’s second act: Q&A, part I

The New York Times profiles influential players in New York City as part of its special issue of Metropolitan, including NYCEDC President Seth Pinsky as a Rising Star:

NYC Digital at the Social Media Week Press Conference

Seth W. Pinsky, President of the New York Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC)

Melissa Chan, "Rockaway Courthouse to be revitalized," Queens Courier

East River Ferry commuters got a special surprise this morning--free rides on the ferry and complimentary coffee from Brooklyn Roasting Company!

Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn and NYCEDC President Seth W. Pinsky and other elected officials greeted morning ferry commuters and celebrated six months of service by announcing a flash free day for all East River Ferry riders.

So far, nearly 500,000 passengers have taken the ferry--far exceeding the expected ridership of 409,000 per year.

Find out more about this new service on NYCEDC's website, and get schedules and rates on the East River Ferry site.

Mayor Bloomberg today broke ground on a new Key Food supermarket in the South Beach area of Staten Island, the latest in a series of new or expanded supermarkets that have been created as a result of the City's Food Retail Expansion to Support Health (FRESH) program. Launched in 2009 in partnership with the City Council, FRESH was created to increase access to food in underserved communities by incentivizing the establishment and retention of neighborhood supermarkets. So far, 10 supermarkets have taken advantage of city-sponsored FRESH benefits, with four more in the pipeline, and the program has created and retained 1,000 jobs.

The new 9,000-square-foot Key Food supermarket will serve a population that has been recognized by the City, State, and Federal Food Access programs as an area underserved by grocery stores. For more details or to watch the Mayor's speech, go to NYC.gov.

Yesterday, Mayor Bloomberg, City Council Speaker Quinn, and NYCEDC President Pinsky attended the first ever City-sponsored food manufacturer business expo and networking event where more than 100 New York City-based immigrant food manufacturing businesses connected with brokers, buyers and wholesalers from the food industry. The expo also marked the beginning of a competition for immigrant entrepreneurs to participate in an international trade show. The competition is open to New York City-based immigrant food manufacturers, with four companies to win a booth sponsored by NYCEDC in the National Association of Specialty Food Trade Summer Fancy Food Show, in June 2012, in Washington DC. The international show is expected to attract more than 15,000 buyers from around the world to source products for their stores and restaurants for the year to come.

"When immigrants come to New York City, they enrich our culture and our communities—but they also build our economy," said Mayor Bloomberg. "Entrepreneurs from around the world come here to start businesses and create jobs, and we must do everything we can to support their quest to build better lives. Food manufacturing is a growing sector of the City's economy, and today's expo will further strengthen the connections between the established industry and new start-ups."

Learn more about NYCEDC's initiatives to support immigrant entrepreneurs in NYC.