The Dumbo Business Improvement District, known as Team Dumbo, has launched what it calls New York City’s first human-centered, community-managed artificial intelligence neighborhood guide.
The new tool, “Dumbo Concierge,” was developed in partnership with Pull.City, a Dumbo-based technology startup, is available at dumbo.nyc/askdumbo.
Organizers say Dumbo Concierge is designed to help businesses, residents, and visitors navigate the Brooklyn waterfront neighborhood by offering responses generated from information directly contributed and maintained by local businesses, organizations, and community members.
Users can ask questions ranging from where to take an art class to finding a Japanese bakery or identifying family-friendly snow day activities. The platform responds with written answers and highlights relevant businesses, events, services, and special offers. A separate business-to-business version is also available to connect local makers, creators, and office tenants.
Unlike traditional search engines or general AI platforms, Dumbo Concierge relies on curated, neighborhood-specific data rather than scraped content from across the web. Pull.City’s platform combines locally managed data and workflows with advanced AI models to deliver what developers describe as accurate and trusted responses.
“This is a very cool way to make sure AI supports our sense of community — instead of replacing it,” said Alexandria Sica, president of the Dumbo Business Improvement District.
Pull.City co-founder Elizabeth Brown said the project reflects a broader effort to create specialized AI systems governed at the local level. “Community-controlled AI flips that dynamic,” Brown said. “By combining specialized models, local governance and intentional data use, districts can create discovery tools that are more sustainable, more transparent and fundamentally aligned with how local economies actually work.”
Dumbo, a neighborhood in the borough of New York City, is home to more than 225 small businesses, more than 20 cultural organizations, and hosts more than 100 annual events. Millions of visitors travel to the area each year.
Organizers say the concierge tool aims to create a single, trusted digital entry point for discovering the neighborhood while directing economic value back to local businesses.
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