Shop Local *and* Global in Lower Manhattan This Holiday Season
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12 Ways to Get Into the Holiday Spirit in Lower Manhattan
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There’s so much to see and do in Lower Manhattan
Spending a few days downtown? Check out these sample itineraries to make sure you don’t miss everything the neighborhood has to offer.
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Take a peek at our community calendar to learn about ongoing events in the neighborhood.
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Serving an area from roughly City Hall to the Battery, from the East River to West Street, the Downtown Alliance manages the Downtown-Lower Manhattan Business Improvement District (BID).
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It’s just not New York City without Lower Manhattan. It’s magnetic. It’s electric. It’s everything and a little bit more. Whether you’re making the most of a weekend getaway or looking for ways to mix up your lunch break, downtown has all the shopping, dining and entertainment you could ask for.
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Get Inspired
Did you know that many of our beloved holiday traditions — including the story of Santa Claus himself — can trace their origins back to New York City’s Dutch beginnings?
As the Dutch expanded their global influence, they brought their customs with them to New Amsterdam. And as the English turned the colonial holding into New York City, these winter traditions morphed into some of the modern Christmas traditions we hold dear today — including, crucially, everyone’s favorite Santa Claus.
Head to the link in our bio to read a historical breakdown of how Santa came to (down)town!
Looking for one last holiday hurrah before the big day? Transport yourself and your little ones to a gingerbread version of NYC at @theseaport’s Gingerbread City! 🎄
Originating in London, The Gingerbread City is an annual exhibition celebrating the creativity of architects and designers, using gingerbread, icing and candies to explore playful ideas in architecture and urban design.
The exhibition is free to enter, and ticketed gingerbread house-making workshops will run through January 4 – including two sessions tomorrow on Christmas Eve morning! These guided, educational workshops are designed for groups of up to four to create one beautiful gingerbread house together. The kits are freshly handmade by an award-winning baker, made to order for each booking. It’s a festive, collaborative (and delicious!) way to spend the day before Christmas.
Learn more at the link in our bio 🔗
Pour one out for @theirishpunt 🍻
After over three decades in Lower Manhattan, the community pub with “some of the best regular customers any business could wish for” is closing its doors. The last day to enjoy a drink at this legacy establishment is tomorrow, December 19.
Head to 40 Exchange Place for one last “slàinte!”, and tap the link in our bio to read the owner’s full farewell letter ❤️
Introducing RE:Store, the Downtown Alliance’s newest initiative to help small businesses find a home and prosper in Lower Manhattan 💫🛍️
RE:Store transforms vacant storefronts into temporary pop-up retail opportunities by pairing unleased spaces with qualified, dynamic short-term tenants. Businesses selected for the program will receive free rent for three months in high-traffic retail locations throughout the neighborhood, in addition to a $15,000 grant for tenant improvements and operating expenses. Expert support for insurance questions, legal matters, permitting and more will be provided, as well as marketing and communications services.
If you operate a small business in New York City and are looking to test a new market or expand your footprint – whether that means opening a second location or moving from an e-commerce site or a market table to a brick-and-mortar storefront – we encourage you to apply!
Applications will open in mid-January 2026. For more information, visit the link in bio!
Our 2025 holiday gift guide has just touched down for landing ✈️🌎🎁
This year, we wanted to celebrate the wealth of diversity in our downtown business community, curating a list that showcases amazing gifts from all over the world that you can find right here in Lower Manhattan.
Our recommendations focus on the thing that unites cultures above almost anything else: food. This holiday season, may you and yours break bread, clink glasses, and enjoy the spoils (chocolate! red wine! fine cigars!) at the close of another great year. Cheers ❤️
#giftguides #shopnyc
Quick! Someone put on the Mariah Carey version of “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” because it is indeed December 1.
If you’re ready to hit the ground running with festive events and holiday celebrations straight through to 2026, you’re in luck. There are countless things to do downtown from now until NYE — and we’ll keep sharing about them all month long — but for now, be sure to add some of these to your list.
From classic Christmas theater to holiday light displays to charitable opportunities, it’s going to be pretty merry and bright in Lower Manhattan this year.
As we move into Black Friday and gift-shopping season, take this as your friendly reminder to consider shopping locally this year!
We put together this neighborhood shopping matrix last year to help you source the perfect gifts for everyone on your list.
For out-of-the-box options, look to your right: these shops are offering unique rare wines, curated books, vintage art, handmade items and bold accessories. To your left, you’ll find classics you can’t go wrong with: fine jewelry, luxe floral arrangements, melt-in-your-mouth chocolates, specialty beauty and grooming services, hearty spirits and local provisions. Move up and down along the Savvy / Spluge axis as your heart and budget desires, and we guarantee the gift gears will start turning.
Lower Manhattan is the privileged home to hundreds of great stores – far too many to include here. So if you’re looking for something outside the lines of our humble matrix, head to the link in our bio to access our 2025 Shop Dine Guide, aka our comprehensive directory of all of downtown New York’s businesses. And keep an eye out next week for our full gift guide to hit the feeds!
Happy shopping 🛍️
What your camera roll looks like when you’re thankful for your neighborhood ❤️
Happy Thanksgiving from the Downtown Alliance! We couldn’t be more grateful to represent such a beautiful and vibrant corner of this city.
Over the weekend, @gothamfc made history by winning the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) Championship for the second time in three years. And on Monday morning, the city celebrated in style with a festive procession up Broadway, ending with a ceremony at City Hall.
Scroll for some pics from the festivities, which included ticker-tape (natch) and a speech from outgoing NYC mayor Eric Adams. Congratulations, Gotham FC!
Congratulations are in order for @gothamfc, your 2025 NWSL champions!
As per NYC tradition, a ticker-tape parade will be held for the team tomorrow in Lower Manhattan, beginning on Broadway and Barclay Street. Parade gates open at 9:00 a.m. with the team scheduled to start their procession at 9:30, before an official ceremony at City Hall at 11:00. Gotham FC’s official website advises revelers to arrive at the City Hall Park side of Broadway to see the processional move north towards Chambers Street. Both the parade and ceremony are free to attend, but an RSVP is required for entry at City Hall.
Tomorrow’s event will mark the second ticker-tape celebration for a New York-based women’s sports team in just over a year, following the New York Liberty’s historic WNBA win in 2024.
Find out everything you need to know about tomorrow’s celebration at the link in our bio 🔗
About the Alliance
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At the Downtown Alliance, our staff is committed to your success.
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Our free bus service makes 36 stops around the perimeter of Lower Manhattan.
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Sample signature menu dishes at a feast of Lower Manhattan restaurants for $5 to $10 all at one community food festival.
LM Live
Our live programming initiative brings the Lower Manhattan community together around events that highlight the neighborhood’s talent, innovation, history and culture.
We are the Alliance for Downtown New York. We manage the Lower Manhattan Business Improvement District (BID) and provide service, advocacy, research and information to advance Lower Manhattan as a global model of a 21st century Central Business District for businesses, residents and visitors. Our district comprises Lower Manhattan south of the north side of Murray Street, roughly from City Hall at the north to the Battery at the south, and from the East River to West Street.