25 Booze-Free Things to Do in Lower Manhattan in January

With a new year comes new resolutions, and some folks like to kick things off by taking a short break from alcohol. If you’re participating in Dry (or dry-ish) January, or are just looking for some booze-free downtown activities to keep you busy this winter, here are a handful of ideas to get you started — and if you’d rather just enjoy a mocktail or two, note that our neighborhood bars have plenty of NA drinks available. 

1. Hit some balls at one of Baseball Pill’s batting cages (140 Church St.)
   
2. Bust out of a haunted hotel-themed escape room at BrainXscape (160 Broadway)
   
3. Bring a sparring partner to Church Street Boxing Gym (25 Park Pl.)
   
4. Check out a literary event at McNally Jackson Books (4 Fulton St.) or the Mysterious Bookshop (58 Warren St.)

5. Become a pickleball champion at Court 16 (28 Liberty St.)
   
6. Catch a flick on the big screen at Alamo Drafthouse (28 Liberty St.), IPIC Fulton (11 Fulton St.) or Regal Battery Park (102 North End Ave.)
   
7. Experience the full spa treatment at Governors Island’s QC NY Spa (112 Andes Rd.) or Wall Street Bath & Spa 88 (88 Fulton St.)
   
8. Get a fresh cut and shave at Skullfade Barbers (105 Nassau St.)
   
9. Challenge a pal to a cornhole tournament at the Lawn Club (alcohol-optional) (1 Fulton St.)
   
10. Spring for a “dirty” fountain soda from Cool Sips (84 South St., Pier 16)

11. Make your own stationary at Bowne & Co. (211 Water St.)
    
12. Channel your inner winter Olympian at one of several seasonal skating rinks
    
13. Head to one of our many local museums for a quick history lesson
    
14. Take in some trippy immersive digital art at Mercer Labs (21 Dey St.)
    
15. Score tickets for a show at PAC NYC, or swing by for a free lobby stage performance (251 Fulton St.)
    
16. Peruse the poetry stacks at Poets House (10 River Terrace)

17. Try to hit up some of LM’s most instagrammable spots in one day 
    
18. Bundle up and hop on a neighborhood walking tour, or tackle this one-day Lower Manhattan itinerary
    
19. Have high tea at the Warren Street Hotel (86 Warren St.)
    
20. Grab some coffee at Conwell Coffee Hall (6 Hanover St.) before embarking on a dramatic theatrical adventure at “Life and Trust” (69 Beaver St.)
    
21. Book a relaxing staycation at a downtown hotel  

22. Warm up with some comfort foods that’ll stick to your ribs 
    
23. Dine out at one of Lower Manhattan’s incredible restaurants
    
24. Or dig into the Dine Around Downtown: Cooking at Home archives to prepare an LM-sourced feast of your own
    
25. Watch every movie filmed downtown — and there are a lot of them!

For more ideas, check out our Shop Dine Guide.

main image: iStock