November 21, 2023
DUMBO became one of Pull City’s first real-world deployments, demonstrating how place-based AI can help a neighborhood become easier to explore, promote, and support. Built as a neighborhood-powered AI concierge, Pull City gives residents, workers, and visitors a conversational way to discover local businesses, events, specials, and recommendations rooted in the actual character of the place.
From October 2025 to February 2026, the DUMBO deployment showed strong engagement across multiple audiences, reaching 3,207 active users, with an average session time of nearly 8 minutes, 1.9 sessions per user, and 41% monthly retention.
DUMBO has a rich local ecosystem, but discovery is fragmented across search, social media, outdated directories, newsletters, posters, and word of mouth. Visitors often miss what makes the neighborhood unique, while residents and workers need an easier way to keep up with events, specials, updates, and local businesses.
DUMBO needed more than a static directory. It needed a digital concierge that could make the neighborhood easier to navigate while reinforcing local identity and supporting small businesses.
Pull City created a conversational AI guide that helps people ask natural questions and receive curated, locally relevant answers. Instead of browsing long lists or generic search results, users could discover DUMBO the way a knowledgeable local might recommend it.
The concierge supported business recommendations, events, lunch ideas, specials, hidden gems, and neighborhood updates, while shaping Pull City’s broader model for intelligent directories, concierge systems, rewards, and business participation.
3,207 Active Users
Total reach across residents, workers, and visitors.
Nearly 8-Minute Average Session Time
High-value engagement through conversational discovery.
41% Monthly Retention
Evidence that users returned regularly and incorporated the tool into their neighborhood routines.
1.9 Sessions per User
Users returned within the same period, showing repeat engagement.
The DUMBO deployment showed that place-based AI can become a real neighborhood habit, not just a novelty. With 41% monthly retention, compared with an estimated ~10% utility app benchmark, Pull City was roughly 4× stickier.
For locals, it became useful for daily check-ins around events, specials, and neighborhood updates. For visitors, it became a deeper discovery engine, helping them explore businesses, hidden gems, and local experiences through multi-turn conversations.