From Gyms to Grand Central: NYC’s Office Amenity Arms Race Hits a Reset
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In the early days of the post-pandemic return-to-office push, landlords across New York City responded to plummeting occupancy with a wave of amenity-driven renovations. Empty office floors were transformed into fitness centers, golf simulators, lounge spaces, and even daycare facilities — all in an effort to lure workers back and make the office more appealing than the living room.
But as 2025 progresses and office leasing picks up, a new conversation is emerging among landlords, brokers, and tenants: Has the amenity race gone too far?
At Bisnow’s recent New York Office Leasing & Asset Management Conference, industry leaders expressed a growing sentiment that priorities are shifting from “amenity overload” to a more strategic, thoughtful approach to workplace design.
“I don't see tenants asking for the moon anymore,” said Grayson Hoffmann, senior investment manager at Norges Bank Investment Management. “The pendulum may be swinging back.”
Leasing Activity Is Up — But Mindsets Are Changing
Office leasing has surged in Manhattan. In Q2 2025, 8.4 million square feet of office space was leased — the highest quarterly total since 2011, according to Cushman & Wakefield. Class A properties accounted for 6.9 million square feet of that total. However, the spike in leasing has also pushed rents up, prompting tenants to reconsider what really matters when it comes to office space.
“Unless you’ve got a really big asset, we all don’t want to run on a treadmill next to each other in the middle of the day,” joked Paul Amrich, vice chairman at CBRE.
According to CBRE’s latest occupier survey, transportation access remains the top driver of leasing decisions, cited by over 85% of tenants. Food and beverage offerings ranked second at 75%, but many of the once-hyped amenities like outdoor space, daycare, and fitness centers were deemed non-essential by over half of respondents.
The leasing data backs this up. Buildings near major transit hubs like Penn Station, World Trade Center, and Rockefeller Center have the lowest vacancy rates in Manhattan. Even areas with higher vacancy — like the Grand Central district — are rebounding, with 1.1 million square feet leased in Q2, the most since 2018.
“The location and the neighborhood is really an amenity,” said Jason Alderman, senior managing director at Hines.
The Cost of Overbuilding Amenities
Another concern raised at the event was the financial burden of building elaborate amenity suites that may not see regular use.
“We see a lot of empty, beautiful space,” said Ryan Simonetti, CEO of Convene Hospitality Group. “Do less, better.”
Simonetti cautioned against cramming too many functions into a single floorplan — a gym, daycare, café, and event space might sound great on paper but can create operational headaches and dilute the user experience.
The New Amenity Model: Monetize, Personalize, and Extend the Day
Instead of chasing flashy features, hospitality operators are exploring ways to monetize existing amenities and extend their utility beyond 9-to-5.
“We’re taking a deep focus on that third part of the day — from 5 to 8 p.m.,” said Wendy Powell, chief growth officer at Infuse Hospitality. “What are we doing during those hours?”
Ideas include turning cafes into after-hours bars, opening rooftops to the public, and enabling food orders from external restaurants through in-building apps — turning office buildings into lifestyle destinations.
“People aren’t just wandering to the cafeteria anymore,” Powell added. “It’s all happening on the phone. We’re putting that tech directly into tenants’ hands.”
Tenant Collaboration Is Key
Forward-thinking landlords like Trinity Wall Street are starting to build amenities in partnership with tenants, often before the lease is even signed.
“Yeah, it costs a lot,” said Sujohn Sarkar, managing director of asset management. “But you’re able to land those transactions because you had that team of architects, engineers and brokers aligned from day one.”
For shared workspace providers like Convene, tailoring spaces to different tenant profiles has become central to their strategy. Their premium brand targets enterprise users with high-end amenities and tech, while etc.venues, their more accessible brand, focuses on plug-and-play event spaces for smaller teams and flexible users.
“Everything starts with who we’re serving and why,” said Simonetti. “That drives what the space looks like and where it should be located.”
A Shift Toward Purpose, Not Perks
The takeaway from this new chapter in NYC office leasing? Amenities aren’t going away — but they’re being redefined. In today’s higher-cost, higher-expectation environment, tenants want spaces that serve a purpose, not just a photo op.
The future of office leasing in New York may not be about offering everything — but rather offering the right things to the right tenants, in the right places.
