Hudson Square is ready for its closeup.<\/p>\n
The Lower Manhattan district \u2014 more of a trapezoid bounded roughly by Clarkson and Canal streets on the north and south, and between West Street and Sixth Avenue \u2014 has become a major draw for some of the biggest names in tech and media. <\/p>\n
Sixteen creative and media companies have moved to Hudson Square since\u00a0Google and Disney gobbled up more than a combined 4 million square feet last year and in 2025. <\/p>\n
Disney\u2019s gleaming New York City headquarters at 7 Hudson Square. Credit Steve Cuozzo<\/p>\n
According to the Hudson Square Business Improvement District, the area saw 915,000 square feet of new leases and renewals in the past 12 months, its strongest performance since 2019.<\/p>\n
The hot first quarter of 2025 included a 366,000 square-foot renewal by Horizon Media and a new, 32,000 square-foot lease for Brooklinen, which moved to 225 Varick St. from DUMBO in Brooklyn.<\/p>\n
Overall, the area\u2019s 12 million square feet of offices boast a relatively low vacancy rate of 16.5% \u2014 down from 17.9% a year ago, according to the Hudson Square BID. <\/p>\n
That rate drops dramatically to 11.4% when excluding the century-old 345 Hudson St. and the brand new 555 Greenwich St., which just completed a combined redevelopment by Hudson Square Properties.<\/p>\n
Creative and media companies have moved to Hudson Square since\u00a0Google and Disney gobbled up more than a combined 4 million square feet since last year. Credit Steve Cuozzo<\/p>\n
Home to the city\u2019s printing industry in the early and mid-20th century, Hudson Square is mostly filled with squat early 20th Century buildings that aren\u2019t very picturesque.<\/p>\n
However, Jacob McNally, the BID\u2019s vice president of planning and capital projects, credited their flexible layouts, large floor plates and lots of natural light through large windows \u2014 and the area\u2019s proximity to mass transit \u2014 for the district\u2019s rising stature as a nexus for what many regard as glamour industries.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese are advantages that appeal to creative and media tenants who depend on collaboration, innovation and access to top talent,\u201d McNally said.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cPlus, our\u00a0sizable and adaptable inventory supports company growth without relocation, and while rents aren\u2019t as deeply discounted as pre-2010s, the variety of space accommodates a range of budgets.\u201d<\/p>\n
Google \u2014 which has a footprint that includes offices at 555 Washington St., and 315 and\u00a0345 Hudson St. \u2014 and\u00a0Disney, at gleaming new 7 Hudson Square, are the office market\u2019s zillion-ton gorillas. <\/p>\n
The district also\u00a0recently attracted Good Karma Brands to 155 Sixth Ave., digital technology specialists Madison Black to 330 Hudson St., custom printing agency Industrial Designs NYC to 175 Varick St.,\u00a0book publisher Phaidon Press to 180 Varick St., and global digital sports platform Fanatics to 345 Hudson St. <\/p>\n
A Hudson Square Business Improvement District survey of the area\u2019s demographics found that over 70% of employees in the area are under 35 years of age. Credit Steve Cuozzo<\/p>\n
Hudson Square Properties, a joint venture of major landowner Trinity Church, Norges Bank and operating partner Hines, owns 13 of the buildings, representing nearly half of the district\u2019s office stock.<\/p>\n
The neighborhood is abuzz with young workers who are drawn to the creative industries. A BID survey of the area\u2019s demographics found that over 70% of employees in Hudson Square are under 35 years of age.<\/p>\n
But for all the area\u2019s recent success, it remains overshadowed by glamorous Soho, Tribeca and the West Village, all of which it borders \u2014 despite having a 60,000-strong workforce in the fields of advertising, design, media and communications. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re trying to expand our out-of-neighborhood awareness,\u201d McNally chuckled.<\/p>\n
A rendering of Hudson Square Business Improvement District\u2019s planned recreational space. Credit: Hudson Square Business Improvement District<\/p>\n
The district has a growing restaurant scene, with such fine-dining spots as Cesar and Port Sa\u2019id, but lacks retail options. <\/p>\n
The BID, meanwhile, is working to beautify Hudson Square\u2019s rougher edges. <\/p>\n
It planted more than 500 trees and is planning a massive overhaul of a city-owned plaza that has been mostly vacant for about 100 years.<\/p>\n
McNally said the BID\u2019s master plan is fully funded with public money, roughly $4.25 million.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re partners with the Department of Environmental Protection\u00a0and the Parks Department to create a lively, recreational space close to the West Village. We hope to make it a gateway between the neighborhoods,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The BID plans to break ground next spring on the year-long project, McNally added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Hudson Square is ready for its closeup. The Lower Manhattan district \u2014 more of a trapezoid bounded roughly…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":191995,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5122],"tags":[5229,64,7299,2722,78797,398,405,403,5226,5225,5228,5227,4329,7747,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":{"0":"post-191994","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-york","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-business","10":"tag-disney","11":"tag-google","12":"tag-lower-manhattan","13":"tag-media","14":"tag-new-york","15":"tag-new-york-city","16":"tag-newyork","17":"tag-newyorkcity","18":"tag-ny","19":"tag-nyc","20":"tag-real-estate","21":"tag-realty-check","22":"tag-united-states","23":"tag-united-states-of-america","24":"tag-unitedstates","25":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","26":"tag-us","27":"tag-usa"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115130231995597369","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/191994","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=191994"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/191994\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/191995"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=191994"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=191994"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=191994"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}