The Maze: Inside New York City’s First Alcohol-Free Members-Only Social Club

For a city famous for its martinis and 2 AM energy, New York has long lacked a space where refined socializing doesn't revolve around alcohol. That changes with the arrival of The Maze—a 4,600-square-foot, members-only club in Flatiron that’s as much about aesthetic design as it is about mindful connection. It’s not just a bar without booze. It’s an entirely different blueprint for how New Yorkers gather.

Founded by Justin Gurland, a Licensed Master Social Worker with 17 years of sobriety and a career dedicated to recovery and community-building, The Maze is designed to be a home base for professionals, creatives, entrepreneurs, and anyone—sober or simply curious—seeking something more intentional from their social life.

Located at 43 West 24th Street, The Maze is less a reaction to drinking culture than a quiet revolution against it. Here, the architecture of connection takes center stage. The layout offers a New American restaurant, a high-end coffee bar, lounge-style seating, and flexible event areas, all united by a design ethos that nods more to boutique hospitality than wellness cliché.

In a city saturated with exclusivity, The Maze offers something rarer: access to community on your own terms. Members can expect weekly events, cultural programming, and wellness-focused social gatherings, all centered on thoughtful interaction rather than background noise. And then there’s the monthly Cornerstone Dinner—a signature evening of conversation and zero-proof pairings that’s as intimate as it is inspiring.

The Maze arrives at a cultural inflection point. According to recent data, nearly 50% of U.S. adults report actively trying to cut back on alcohol. The #sobercurious hashtag has amassed over 600 million views. What began as a personal choice has become a movement—particularly in urban, health-forward markets like New York and Los Angeles.

At the same time, loneliness is being flagged as a public health crisis, making spaces that foster genuine connection more important than ever. The Maze responds not just with a solution, but with a statement: sobriety can be elevated, celebratory, and, most importantly, social.

The Maze is currently accepting sign-ups to its waitlist, with full membership applications opening in July. While access will be selective, the mission remains expansive: to build a space where everyone, regardless of why they walk through the door, can show up fully. No explanations. No compromises.

Here, your after-work drink might be a single-origin espresso instead of a cocktail, but the energy in the room? Every bit as electric. Because when the usual distractions fall away, what’s left is something rare in New York: presence.