DowntownBrooklyn.com debuts

Finally, a go-to guide online for what to do and what to see in and around Downtown Brooklyn!

DowntownBrooklyn.com officially launched today as a convenient, user-friendly, informative hub for residents and visitors alike to get up-to-speed on all the people, businesses, and events that make the neighborhood(s) tick.

Among the highlights of the portal are a comprehensive daily calendar and profiles for over 430 local businesses, schools, and cultural organizations that the website creators hope will help drive customers to small businesses that may not have a web presence otherwise.

“For the first time, this creates a real platform for [the Downtown Brooklyn] experience,” said Tucker Reed, president of the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership (DBP), the nonprofit development and advocacy corporation that launched the website with help from new partner Northside Media Group, which is in charge of the site’s daily content.

Reed noted that “we have technology, digital, college [scene], and a burgeoning residential neighborhood… What matters is telling a story to the world about why they should come here.”

According to recent data released by Google, 97 percent of consumers shop online, yet only 47 percent of New York State businesses have a website.

Such increased visibility is already having an impact, even for long-time residents and workers in the area, noted DBP’s director of finance, Angela Johnson, who said that her favorite part on DowntownBrooklyn.com is the “What To Do” section. “I was surprised at the amount of food around — I didn’t realize we have over 400 restaurants here, of all sizes.”

Shawn James, a Brooklyn-based concert promoter, agreed. “I grew up in Bed-Stuy and went to school downtown, so Downtown Brooklyn’s always been where it’s at,” said James. “Now there’s new business and a new audience that this [site] complements. And I like how they’re going to help small businesses. They know that if businesses don’t do good, then downtown won’t do good.”

The intuitive design and customizable aspects of the website’s navigation might look familiar to some users — those who already frequent DUMBO’s community and business website, Dumbo.is. That is because both are designed by the creative minds over at Brooklyn-based smartassdesign.

Led by principal designer Jon Hecht, the  company”s “first objective” in designing the site was to ensure that the focus is on Downtown Brooklyn the neighborhood, not DBP the organization. “It is the identity and site experience that reflects all the rich offerings available these days,” he explained.

“One question I often get is ‘where is Downtown Brooklyn?’,” Hecht said, before adding that “this is designed to be an answer.”

In addition to the calendar, DowntownBrooklyn.com features daily content and monthly deals. The month of February will feature 10 Valentine’s Day-themed deals, and every new website-user who signs up for an account on the site will be entered into a raffle for a round-trip ticket from American Airlines – another sponsor.