- Manhattan is not only outperforming the US overall, with Office Busyness at 77.9% of pre-COVID levels versus 68.2% nationally, but also leading on peak days, with Tuesday at 100.5% versus 88.2% nationally and Monday at 90.9% versus 75.1%, pointing to a structurally stronger return-to-office dynamic in dense, transit-oriented markets.
- While Office Busyness shows Tuesday has effectively normalized to pre-COVID levels, Friday remains at just 47.3%, reinforcing a compressed, early midweek demand pattern and a fundamentally different utilization curve than pre-2020.
- For landlords and occupiers, this shift in Office Busyness is redefining how space is used and leased, with demand increasingly driven by the ability to accommodate high midweek density and deliver experience. While Trophy base rents remain flat YoY ($122.09 psf in April 2026 vs. $122.11 psf in April 2025), the rebound from $111.33 psf in December 2025 combined with early signs of concession packages beginning to roll back points to improving pricing momentum and landlords regaining leverage.
Tuesday is back — and driving the office recovery in Manhattan
Manhattan Busyness by day of week, indexed to March 2019
May 6, 2026
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