Ever since ICANN (the powers that control domain names) started to release names other than .com and .gov and .net (and the standard others), people have been waiting for one thing: city domain names. Today, the city of New York has officially announced that the .nyc domain name is for sale.

If you live in New York, you can purchase this domain name, but do note that you have to live in the city in order to get a .nyc name.

The First City

New York is the first city to offer specialized domain names to locals. The city wants to make sure that the .nyc name stays within the boundaries of New York, so you do have to be a local in order to use this name (so the rule goes, but we all know that there are ways around this!). Still, the city of New York has stated that only those people with a physical address in New York can claim a .nyc domain name in the hopes that the name will still exclusive to New Yorkers.

In order to sign up for a .nyc name, you will have to head to the ownit.nyc registration site, select a domain name (if you can find one that hasn’t been taken!), and then register your business using a physical address. Rumor has it that the city is being tough when it comes to an address, so you do have to have a legit one, and it can’t be a P.O. Box or some other kind of shady deal. It’s hard not to imagine people selling addresses soon, but for now you do have to have a real physical location in order to get this domain name.

Pricing

The price to own a .nyc domain name isn’t bad at all. The city estimates that the cost will be anywhere from $25 to $40 per year depending on the name. The tough part here will be getting the name that you want, since there are so many businesses in New York City. It may take you an hour or so to find a good name, and make sure to choose wisely (something that your clients will remember).

Other Cities Following Suit

NYC is kind of a test city at the moment, but other cities including Paris and Barcelona are working on setting up the same kind of deal. Additionally, Al Gore (former Vice President of the United States) is working on creating a .eco domain name that would solely pertain to companies selling truly green products. As you can see, the world of domain names is quickly moving forward.

If you do have a business in NYC or just want to register something like a blog by choosing the .nyc domain name, you can do so by visiting the website listed above. It’s a good idea to try and snag the name that you want quickly, though, because names are going fast (not surprisingly), and most of the basics are taken. While this is all good news to businesses looking for that special .nyc address, the city stands to gain lots too - to the tune of millions in domain name registrations. So, it’s a win-win both for NYC businesses and for the city itself. Will you be registering a .nyc domain name?