Day trips out from NYC

[rklein01 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close rklein01]

Maybe my image of New York is wrong, but I expect nothing other than high rise buildings, masses of people and no room to breathe!

Manhattan -- especially the area of tourist interest - - is smaller and easier to walk than you might think.

The rectangle from river to river and say, Midtown to Greenwich Village, is only a mile wide and about 2.5 miles long.

Manhattan Neighborhood Map


Of that you'll only see actual crowds on 5th avenue (59th to 42nd) and in the Theatre District during showtime.

[Laurie Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Laurie]

I'm from those 'burbs, so I can say this: IMO the suburban sprawl around NYC is geographically far-reaching, and boring. I love country too and live in it now, but you're not close enough there to anything much worth travelling to (except I used to love Jones Beach, but probably not in November, and you live in a country with more scenic coastline).

NYC on the other hand is one of the very best cities in the world, and now I can compare it to some of Europe's greatest cities, and I still find it to be among the tops. There's a charged energy there which makes the crowds fun rather than suffocating (to me, anyway), and unlike those anywhere I've been yet. A week will fly by, if you have any urban interests at all: music, art, history, etc. And the food!

You might plan on the Cloisters and/or Central Park for a change of pace, but I wouldn't make too many other plans to go further until you get there - maybe you won't find it as energizing as I do, and will in fact need to escape - but, you might agree!

One recommendation for a museum: The Tenement Museum, website is
The Official Site of the Lower East Side Tenement Museum
(The day we went, we noticed most of the other visitors were British.)

[hudson Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close hudson]

Day trip just north of Manhattan.....no car needed.

"...............but you're not close enough there to anything much worth travelling to....." ??????????????????

Not so.

Historic Hudson Valley - A Network of Six Historic Sites in Sleepy Hollow Country

under 40 minutes from Grand Central via Metro-North's express train to Tarrytown.( look at day trips on mta.info). The train takes you along the edge of the Hudson River just north of Manhattan.

Rockefeller Estate Kykuit ( home and garden tours)
Washington Irvings Sunnyside ( on the National Register of Historic Places)
Historic Pocantico Church with Chagall windows
and much more via shuttle van or taxi once you get into Tarrytown which itself has a unique River Town atmosphere with shops and eats.

Or, take a day trip boat ride from Manhattan directly to West Point on the Hudson River.. Take the tour, etc.

Enjoy !

[hudson Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close hudson]

Staten Island Ferry is still free

For the most spectacular view of lower Manhattan's skyline from the water, ride the free Staten Island Ferry.

[Laurie Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Laurie]

"...............but you're not close enough there to anything much worth travelling to....." ??????????????????

Not so.

Historic Hudson Valley - A Network of Six Historic Sites in Sleepy Hollow Country

under 40 minutes from Grand Central via Metro-North's express train to Tarrytown.( look at day trips on mta.info). The train takes you along the edge of the Hudson River just north of Manhattan.

Rockefeller Estate Kykuit ( home and garden tours)
Washington Irvings Sunnyside ( on the National Register of Historic Places)
Historic Pocantico Church with Chagall windows
and much more via shuttle van or taxi once you get into Tarrytown which itself has a unique River Town atmosphere with shops and eats.

Or, take a day trip boat ride from Manhattan directly to West Point on the Hudson River.. Take the tour, etc.

Enjoy !

OK, I thought about mentioning Sunnyside... but, I spent my entire childhood after age 1 in Westchester Co, mostly in Dobbs Ferry which is on the Hudson, next door to Irvington, plus we lived in Tarrytown and Edgemont. Especially by my teen years, the only thing much worth doing there was hopping the train to NYC, which I did almost every weekend (til I was grounded...).

Could be I didn't fully appreciate the Hudson Valley sights as a young person. But I've been there as an adult, and I still personally wouldn't miss time in NYC - especially if I were from the UK where IMO the rural scenery and country estates are comparatively more beautiful, impressive, and plentiful, compared to what's in easy striking distance of NYC - JMHO of course.

I do love river boat rides, so I'd second the recommendation for all the ones mentioned - Manhattan, Staten Island, and Hudson (even tho I've never done the last 2!)

[ArtsieAng Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close ArtsieAng]

"...............but you're not close enough there to anything much worth travelling to....." ??????????????????

I'm still gonna vote for the east end of Long Island. South Hampton to Montauk Point. Especially if it's late October. It will not be beach weather, but you can still walk along the beaches, ( which are beautiful, IMHO) and the foliage will be very nice, scenery is great. The stands will be open, selling pumpkins, and fall veggies. Plus, the stores will be having major sales.

[3kids4me Super Moderator and Super Mom Find all posts View Profile Close 3kids4me]

Hey Laurie,

How about those 1:00 a.m. Metro North trains out of Grand Central after a good concert at the Garden, with everyone wearing their black concert t-shirts with the 3/4 sleeves and lounging on the floor of the train....

...ah...those were the days....

Sharon (another former Westchester teen)