The top-level domain (TLD) “.nyc” is a geographic domain extension that was officially introduced by ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) on May 20, 2013. This domain extension is specifically intended for residents, businesses, and organizations in New York City. It falls under the category of “GeoTLDs” (Geographic Top-Level Domains) established by ICANN’s New gTLD Program, alongside other geo-centric TLDs like .berlin, .london, and .paris.
According to ICANN’s registry, as a city-specific domain, .nyc gives a unique identity to the user, making evident their strong connection to New York City. The New York City Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications operates the .nyc domain. The city’s government embraced the .nyc TLD to strengthen its brand, promote tourism, and provide residents, businesses, and organizations with a more localized identity.
Several businesses and organizations in New York City have adopted .nyc domain. For instance, Sidewalk Labs, the urban innovation organization, uses the domain www.sidewalk.nyc. It provides valuable opportunities to secure domain names that might have already been taken under the .com TLD, such as www.pizza.nyc or www.realestate.nyc.
The .nyc top-level domain is managed by Neustar, an American technology company that operates several TLDs as per ICANN’s contract. However, the domain is only available to those with a “bona fide presence” in New York City. This means registrants must provide a physical address in one of the city’s five boroughs. Post office box addresses are not accepted, emphasizing the TLD’s local-centric nature.
As reported by the site nTLDStats, .nyc had over 66,500 registrations as of November 2020, making it one of the most utilized city-specific TLDs worldwide. Compared to typically sought after TLDs like .com or .org, .nyc may offer less crowded space for creating a unique online presence.
Sources:
1. ICANN’s gTLD Applicant Guidebook (https://newgtlds.icann.org/en/applicants/agb)
2. Neustar’s information on .nyc (https://www.home.neustar/registry-solutions/top-level-domains/city-domains/nyc-domain)
3. Official website of .nyc (https://www.ownit.nyc/)
4. Information about Sidewalk Labs (https://www.sidewalk.nyc/)
5. nTLDStats’ data on .nyc (https://ntldstats.com/tld/nyc)
