Things to do in NYC when you're not drinking

Tired of bars and clubs as the only options to go out on the weekend? Here's a list of evening activities in NYC that will get you out of the house & don't revolve around drinking.

If you’ve been reading this Substack or following me on Instagram, you already know that there are tons of options in NYC for sober bars and bars with great non-alcoholic options. But what if you want to mix things up on a Friday night and not go to a bar? Of course, there are the obvious activities like going to a movie theater, concerts, Broadway shows, but these usually require some upfront planning and - often pricey - tickets. But what if you want to be spontaneous and get out of the house and just… do something? In this post, you’ll find some of my favorite evening activities in NYC that are open late (10pm and later), don’t require a lot of planning, and are somewhat affordable.¹

Board games & arcades

• Chess Forum is somewhat of an institution in Greenwich Village. The chess shop is open noon til midnight 7 days a week and offers chess pickup games for $5.

• The Uncommons is a board game café in Greenwich Village that lets you choose from a huge variety of board games and card games for a flat rate of $15 per person. Grab a friend and get ready to play! Heads up, it gets busy during peak hours.

• Sparrows Nest is a mahjong parlor in Midtown that hosts beginners classes and drop-in play sessions for you and friends. They’re open til 10pm on weekends, so you can play until late!

• If you prefer arcade games over board games, check out spots like Wonderville in Bushwick, one of the many Barcades around the city, Jackbar in Williamsburg, and Sunshine Laundromat in Greenpoint. Yes, they’re bars, but you can easily spend hours there sipping on sodas and spending your money on arcade machines and pinball instead of booze!