The first one I went to had about 40 people in attendance. It's quite an experience to be in the presence of so many people bouncing off of one another trying to exchange business cards and make connections. There aren't any name tags at CyberSuds, so it can be awfully difficult to figure out who's selling something you may want to buy and vice versa. These days, much of the excitement in Silicon Alley has shifted south, from the always-hopping Flatiron District in the twenties down to its southern end at 55 Broad Street , a formerly vacant skyscraper that now goes by the name of the New York Information Technology Center. So far, the building's been remarkably successful.
Tenants seem to love it.
The electric company gives a big discount for power, and City Hall throws in its own abatement to attract tenants. Add this building into the mix of prebuilt, Internet-ready space downtown, and there's over 100,000 square feet of space waiting for tenants. Out there, you'll find all kinds of multimedia talent and cool content providers, but it's hard to imagine that L.A. will ever have its own version of Silicon Alley. Too much traffic. I believe it.