New York City is getting some serious digital branding: first there was the recent launch of the .NYC domains, and now NYC.com (not affiliated with the .NYC domains, which is run by the city) is offering up email addresses. Like so many other things in New York City, you can't afford one.
The email addresses are not free, they come with a monthly rent ($69, $99, $199, and $999 a month are the current prices). So, for example: a three character one (you@nyc.com) costs $99/month, and a one character email (u@nyc.com) costs $999/month. That's $11,988 a year. In comparison: Gmail costs $0, and all your friends use it; Earthlink is also free, and all your grandmas use it. You have options that don't include pricing tiers like this:
Here's the TL;DR on the business plan, but today CEO of the private company, Sean Miller, told us the short of it: "@NYC was launched as invite only about six months ago and quietly opened up to the public about a week ago. Pricing is driven by a variety of factors. Demand, of course, but it is also meant to ensure the service remains selective and that the name you want is available." [via Reddit]
