Avoid the wind chill? Here’s how to navigate the Lower Manhattan subway

Thanks to an unusually humid fall this year, we appear to be well past the 50 to 60 degree pre-winter adjustment period, and now it’s here cold. So cold that your walk from the train to the office feels more like a trip to the Arctic than a three-block walk. Luckily, Lower Manhattan has a vast network of commercially heated underground malls where you can run all your daily errands without coming into contact with the winter air. Here are three of our favorites:

The shops at One New York Plaza

With everything from ceviche to opticians (thankfully separate storefronts), the Shops at One New York Plaza is truly a one-stop shop. You’ll find lunch specials from INDAY, Playa Bowls, Brasa Peruvian Kitchen and NAYA Middle Eastern Counter and Grill; There is also a shoemaker, an optician’s practice, a chiropractor and a fitness studio. If you’re lucky enough to be working right in the building, there’s really no reason to leave the building.

MarketPlace 28, 28 Liberty St.

At MarketPlace 28 you can work hard and play hard without having to step outside. Catch a movie while sipping a cocktail at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, hit some pickleballs at Court 16 and relax, or get some work done in the indoor seating area (free WiFi included at Downtown Alliance). There are direct subway connections to the 2, 3, 4, 5, J and Z trains, as well as to the offices at 28 Liberty St. and 120 Broadway.

Fulton Center/The Oculus/Brookfield Place

This is where you can spend the whole day if your winter coat doesn’t do it for you. With ten train stations, two office complexes and countless shops connected by a maze of underground passageways that stretch almost across river to river, these three retail halls together form an underground cathedral of warmth. Down here you have access to pharmacies, cafes, clothing stores, public seating areas and numerous fast food and sit-down restaurants. Not to mention the 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, A, C, E, J, Z, R, W, and PATH trains, as well as almost all of the World Trade Center and Brookfield Place office buildings, without having to leave home (but you will). By all means make progress).

The next time the temperature drops below freezing, consider rerouting your route to work through one of these underground passageways – especially if you’re one of the lucky ones who has a direct connection to your workplace.

Photo: Mark Weinberg