26 Things We’re Looking Forward to in 2026
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Four Soups to Get You Through the Cold Season
Continue Reading‘I See the Sky From the Other Side’ Now on View at 77 Water St.
The piece is part of a portfolio of Lower Manhattan-specific work that building owners can install on temporary fencing.
Meet Lauren Jefferson, Downtown’s Small Business Whisperer
A day in the life of the Downtown Alliance’s director of storefront business engagement!
Want to Run Your Own Downtown Pop-Up? Apply to Our RE:Store Program!
Applications are open now and will be accepted until February 6, 2026.
Terravita Is Your New Dining Out Destination
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The World in One Square Mile
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.
Your plans for the week are right here
Take a peek at our community calendar to learn about ongoing events in the neighborhood.
A one-stop-shop for your downtown business
Looking for research, statistics, market data or incentives? Find it all here.
A clean, safe and dynamic neighborhood
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).
Explore Life Downtown
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.
Come visit downtown
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Happy National Gluten-Free Day to all who celebrate 🫡🥖🚫
Nearly all of our best foods, the ones universally beloved and savored over, have one microscopic thing in common: a complex combination of proteins colloquially known as gluten. Gluten is the thing that makes sourdough rise, develops the buttery layers of the best croissants, deepens the flavor of beer, and gives structure to everything from pasta to pizza dough to cookies and candy. But for people with celiac disease or gluten sensitivities, this pesky little protein can wreak serious havoc.
Luckily, New York City is one of the best places in the world for eating gluten-free, Lower Manhattan especially. Here, we have fast-casual spots and fine-dining establishments alike that avoid wheat products without compromising taste. For anyone out there looking to nosh sans-gluten, this one’s for you.
For even more GF options in the nabe, check out the full guide at the link in our bio 🔗
The storefronts of Lower Manhattan 🛍️
Manifesting a downtown storefront for your small business in 2026? We can help bring your vision to life. Applications for RE:Store, the Downtown Alliance’s new initiative to transform vacant storefronts into temporary pop-up retail opportunities, are open NOW!
Re:Store works 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! Head to the link in bio, or go to downtownny.com/restore, for everything you need to know.
She’s beauty! She’s grace! She’s the Downtown Alliance’s Director of Storefront Business Engagement!
If you’re a small business owner in Lower Manhattan, chances are you already know Lauren Jefferson. She’s the über friendly, hard-working bridge between the Alliance and all of the neighborhood’s mom-and-pops, connecting them with grants, resources and other support services to help them thrive.
But for those of you who haven’t yet had the pleasure, we thought we’d introduce you to Lauren ourselves. We joined her for a busy day on the job, shadowing her as she took meetings, wrote her weekly newsletter, visited some of her tried-and-true spots and met with some brand new businesses in the nabe 🤝
Learn more about Lauren’s role here at the Alliance and our work at large at the link in our bio 🔗
Extra, extra! The Financial District has been ranked the #1 most in-demand neighborhood for buyers and renters in New York City by @streeteasy 🏙️
In the last year, StreetEasy searches for available apartments in the neighborhood surged by nearly 47 percent, a testament to Lower Manhattan’s convenience, vibrancy and continuing transformation into a residential hub.
As @timeoutnewyork writes, “the list shows exactly what New Yorkers are prioritizing right now: neighborhoods that feel lived-in, well-connected, and just flexible enough to handle whatever the city throws at them next.”
To us, this is no surprise! We know best how special and dynamic Lower Manhattan is, but it’s great to see it reflected back to us in this way. If you live downtown, leave a comment about why you love it!
The New Year’s Eve champagne’s been drunk, the new planner’s been purchased and you’ve already written the wrong date at least twice — that’s right, it’s 2026! This is a special year for downtown, one that includes marquee events like an NYC FIFA World Cup and America’s 250th birthday along with all the Lower Manhattan highlights and Downtown Alliance-sponsored programming that you’ve already come to love. At the link in our bio, you’ll find 26 things we’re looking forward to in the year to come.
There are three ways to see New York’s long-abandoned City Hall station. The first is to ride a downtown 6 train to its terminus at Brooklyn Bridge – City Hall, and remain onboard until it begins its signature turnaround loop to go back uptown. About halfway through, you can peek out the train window to catch a brief glimpse of the station’s magnificent arches, detailed tilework and cave-like structure.
Though this method has its charms — it’s accessible, quick, and a genuinely fun piece of NYC lore to unlock — we can’t help but recommend the second way: securing a coveted ticket to the @nytransitmuseum’s walking tour of the station. It’s a one-of-a-kind, only-in-New-York experience that reveals fascinating details about the political, social and architectural history of Lower Manhattan and the city at large.
(The third and most complicated way is to be elected mayor of New York City and choose the station for your swearing in ceremony, as newly-minted Mayor @zohrankmamdani did on New Year’s Day. Good luck.)
However you get there, the destination is worth it. Even in its current state — decades of past neglect manifest in missing glass panes, cracked tiles and a layer of age that keeps the platform a worn ruddy brown — the old City Hall station is breathtaking in its grandeur.
At the link in our bio, find a first-hand account of the Transit Museum’s City Hall station tour, and a fascinating history of New York City’s famous subway system 🔗
Note: The next round of tickets for the tour will be on sale for Transit Museum members on January 14.
Thank you to the @nyse for the opportunity to say farewell to 2025 and (literally) ring in the new year this morning!
Our Director of Public Safety, Ed Drivick, joined councilman Christopher Marte on the podium to ring the Opening Bell on the last day of trading for the year 🎉
Credit: NYSE
There’s no better place to ring in the new year than Lower Manhattan. The options for dinner, drinks and dancing are fabulous any time of year, let alone the shiniest (and last) night of 2025. Here are six New Year’s Eve events downtown where you can dress to the nines and stay out til at least 12 🪩🥂
Tap the link in our bio for ticket + RSVP links!
Lower Manhattan got the merry + bright memo this year 🎄
Merry Christmas from the Downtown Alliance!
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 🔗
About the Alliance
Maintaining Quality of Life
Our People
At the Downtown Alliance, our staff is committed to your success.
Downtown Connection
Our free bus service makes 36 stops around the perimeter of Lower Manhattan.
Dine Around Downtown
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.