9 things to do for New Year’s Eve in NYC that don't involve booze or Times Square

Published Dec 26, 2023 at 5:01 a.m. ET

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Published Dec 26, 2023 at 5:01 a.m. ET

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The sheer magnitude of New Year’s Eve in New York City can feel like peer pressure. If you’re not out celebrating, watching the ball drop or reveling with fellow revelers, are you even alive?

Not everyone relishes the idea of paying an exorbitant sum for the privilege of drinking a “free” glass of champagne while standing next to hundreds of strangers packed into a bar like sardines. For those who want to avoid the conventional hoopla surrounding the holiday, we’ve compiled a list of alternate activities that will help you ring in 2024.

Why nuzzle up against a crowd of people when you could nuzzle up with cats? Brooklyn Heights’ Cat Café offers feline lovers the opportunity to hang out with little furballs before the night turns into a full-blown party.

You can book a 30-minute session with the general cat population for just $12, or you can book a private hourlong playdate for a mere $20. Who knows – you may even adopt one of the kittens and start the new year as a cat parent. Brooklyn Heights; details here.

Lending a hand to volunteer organizations is never a bad idea, but it can be particularly helpful during the holidays, when folks are out-of-town or focused on their own party plans.

You can get an idea of opportunities that are available here, but there are also volunteer networks like New York Cares and Volunteer New York that offer databases you can search based on your availability and interest. The Bowery Mission has an easy-to-navigate online signup system. Many soup kitchens require early registration for volunteers, so don’t wait until the last minute to find one near you!

Billed as “The Amazing Race" meets "Dungeons and Dragons,” Party Run gives participants the chance to go on a treasure hunt in the wilds of New York City. It uses your phone to deliver real-time clues and puzzles that will send you on an adventure around the city as you compete with friends (or strangers) to see who can complete the challenges first. A bonus? It's free to play. Manhattan, free; details here.

You don’t have to own a dog to attend Bridge and Tunnel Brewery’s dog-friendly comedy night, but if you happen to bring your pet to Last Call Comedy, make sure it’s not a heckler. Every Sunday night in Ridgewood, Queens, audience members and comedians alike bring their dogs for an evening of free laughs and $5 pints. Ridgewood, free; details here.

If you want to turn over a new leaf in 2024, there’s no better way to do so than by getting restful, sober sleep, then waking up on Jan. 1 and diving into the frigid ocean at Coney Island. For the 121st year, brave and cold-tolerant participants will gather in South Brooklyn to submerge themselves in the winter sea. It’s certainly an exhilarating way to start the new year! Coney Island, free; details here.

Time’s Up! (the environmental organization) sponsors a massive bike ride every New Year’s Eve, called the “Annual Future Positive New Year’s Bike Ride.” You can join at any of four pickup points (two in Brooklyn, two in Manhattan) for the journey to Belvedere Castle in Central Park, where the ride will conclude with a dance party and fireworks. If you don't have a bike, you can also skate instead — though you'll need to bring your own. Brooklyn and Manhattan, free; details here.

Fashion fans get lucky this New Year's Eve (and Christmas Day), as the Jewish Museum is open and putting on an immersive exhibition focusing on the French fashion house Chloé. The line's founder, Gaby Aghion, was a Jewish entrepreneur who, in addition to developing her own pioneering designs, helped launch the careers of Karl Lagerfeld and Stella McCartney.

The exhibition features close to 150 garments, along with sketches that unveil the painstaking process of designing high fashion. Upper East Sides, adult tickets cost $18 each, senior tickets go for $12, and students can get in for $8; details here.

Installation view of Mood of the moment: Gaby Aghion and the house of Chloé at the Jewish Museum, NY, October 13, 2023-February 18, 2024.

Not wanting to participate in the typical hoopla of New Year’s Eve doesn’t mean you have to eschew all celebration. Skip the parties and make your way to Prospect Park, where fireworks will go off at midnight to provide a free display to those who can brave the cold. Reservations are recommended, but not required, and as a bonus you’ll get to spend the evening with Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. Grand Army Plaza, free; details here.

A scene from a previous New Year's eve event in Prospect Park.

New Year’s Eve doesn’t have to be celebrated at night; it can take the form of a daytime hike and meditation. Queens on Purpose, a natural personal care product company, hosts monthly hikes at Shirley Chisholm State Park. In December, the hike takes place on New Year’s Eve, so you can get your steps in, do some breath work, and be in bed while everyone else is starting their nights. Organizers say participants can expect "fellowship, hiking and meditation." The event is on, rain or shine, and open to "anyone who is physically fit to complete a moderately challenging walk of about 4 miles." It is not recommended for children. East New York, free; details here.

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