Thanks, office workers: Foot traffic in Manhattan nears pre-COVID levels, report says

WNYC News

Moritz Masberg, an attorney in Midtown, shows up to his Sixth Avenue office every day, along with about a third of his coworkers. He says he senses a promising trend.

“The lunch places are full, and I don’t see many empty stores anymore,” Masberg said. “I think that the city recovered quite well here in Midtown.”

New data from the market research firm Placer.ai suggests he’s onto something. Foot traffic in Manhattan office buildings in July reached its highest level in four years, according to the firm, whose widely cited analyses are used to inform commercial real estate and business decisions across the country.

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While office visits nationwide reached 72.2% of pre-pandemic levels, the rebounds in New York City and Miami led the nation, with both regaining 90% of their July 2019 foot traffic, according to Placer.ai. The company's Office Building Index analyzes cellphone “ping” data at more than 77 commercial office buildings, and commercial office buildings with first-floor retail, according to the firm.

Read the full story on Gothamist.com.