Index notes
What does “local” actually mean?
A headquarters, a store and a shipping destination are three different things. Our index should say which is which.
New York is a useful boundary only when we explain what it means. For this project, it means the five boroughs: the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island.
A real operation, not just a market.
A business can sell to New Yorkers without operating here. Our index looks for an identifiable local presence, such as an office, store, studio, manufacturing site or fulfillment operation. A city mentioned on a shipping page is not enough.
Keep the distinctions visible.
A shop in Brooklyn does not establish that a company is headquartered in Brooklyn. A remote team member does not automatically establish a public office. Profiles should describe the evidence we actually have, not stretch it into a bigger claim.
A source and a date.
Even a correct address can become out of date. That is why profiles link to public sources and show when those sources were reviewed. The date does not promise that nothing has changed since then.
Correction is part of the system.
A directory is never finished. When a business moves, changes its offer or closes a location, we need to learn about it. Every profile provides a way to suggest a correction.