New York and area
We are spending 10 days in New York next month and are visiting friends 1 day in Hartford, Connecticut. We want to spend another 2 days just looking around the area but not sure whether to go to the Hamptons (bearing in mind it is March) or north of New York city to the Catskills area. We like nice eating places, individual shops, little towns to wander around. Not into hiking or strenuous activities on this trip. Would like to hear from anyone with ideas of where to go and what to see please ?1
Are you looking to get around only by public transit or can rent a car?Here are some ideas, though the beach destinations are not really worth it in March: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/24/new-york-day-trips_n_1543856.html#slide=1017823
You can also consider going to North Fork, Long Island for wine tasting. Relatively easy by bus or train and it's a cute town with shops and restaurants to explore. http://www.liwines.com/?cat=4
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Yeah, I concur with smart cookie although the North Fork is better by car.I've taken scouts on beaches in February here, but the point was the adventure of the cold wind nearly freezing you than it was about a pleasant stroll.
There is a nice little walkway along the water in Brooklyn if you want to test it out without committing an entire daytrip.
New England has plenty of nice small towns, but there are many folks here who can give you better recomendations about that than I could.
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Lodging will be cheaper, though more limited on the North Fork, and the Hamptons- East Hampton, Amagansett, Montauk and Saaaag Harbor will be rather dead, as people are just staring to reopen the homes for the summer. A nice drive is from East Hampton to Sag Harbor and ferry to Shelter Islands and then to Greepoint, but its not going to be that pretty in early spring.I would go to the Hudson Valley/Catskills before a beach destination in March, or Philadelphia. Having a car in NYC will be about $50 day to park it too...
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I've been to New York many times and many times I have been to Eastern Long Island. Greenpoint, Sag Harbour and Montauk are all fabulous. Stunning scenery, outlet shops, amazing beaches and harbours. Hope this helps.10
If you're interested in contemporary art, a trip up the Hudson River might be fun (Dia Beacon and Storm King (if it has reopened for the season), ending up at Mass MOCA in the Berkshires. Cold Spring, Rhinecliff and Hudson are interesting towns, and Hudson has fantastic antique shops. You might visit Olana if you like the Hudson River School (of painting) And you could eat at the CIA (no, not THAT 'CIA', but the Culinary Institute of America). If you are interested in sustainability, go to Stone Barns, the Rockefeller estate that Dan Barber has turned into an experimental farm (beautiful buildings and a fantastic restaurant too).11
If you are interested in sustainability, go to Stone Barns, the Rockefeller estate that Dan Barber has turned into an experimental farm (beautiful buildings and a fantastic restaurant too).
Stone Barns is one of my favorite restaurants... amazing place. For art in that general area there's also DIA in Beacon, which is just transcendent; it's a must-see if you like contemporary art. I remember Hudson as cute & walkable. I definitely would go to the Hudson River Valley rather than the Hamptons.
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Greenpoint, Sag Harbour and Montauk are all fabulous.Daniel34110 #8, while there is no doubt that Greenpernt is fabulous, you likely mean Greenport.
