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! …

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 🔗 …

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! …

That’s a wrap ✨ …

Last night in Lower Manhattan ✨🎄 @nyse …

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 …