North East US trip Fly to Washington Return from NYC .

Skip Atlantic City and go a an hour south to Cape May. It has been called the oldest resort town in America and in its historic district it has the highest concentration of Victorian houses and buildings in America outside of San Francisco. Plenty of good restaurants (use Yelp). Niagara Falls is out of the way if you are exploring Mid-Atlantic states.

In Virginia, check out Charlottesville which has the University of Virginia which was founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1819. Visit the 1826 Rotunda and wander around the Fralin Museum of Art on campus. Nearby the town is Monticello, Jefferson's home. The 1784 Michie Tavern has ambience and Southern cuisine.

Years ago I went to the baseball stadium in New York City the day of a game and got a cheap ticket from a scalper, 15 USD or so.

We start by exploring Washington DC maybe 3 nights ,

A good start, although there is a lot in the Capital Region that could lead you to spend a little more time.

then wish to hire a car from there and travel for 8 days or so by car exploring Virginia & West Virginia , North Carolina ,Pennsylvania, Delaware

That is a lot to cover in 8 days. I'm not sure I would try to include NC unless you really want to squeeze in the beach.

before spending last 2 nights in NYC .

I would think 3 nights would be better

Looking for safe places, & authentic US we enjoy good bars and restaurants reasonably priced.

The best eats are in cities, particularly less expensive cities than DC and NYC. Baltimore, Richmond, Philadephia are all great for food, at half the price of DC or NYC.

Also a suitable lovely beach resort to relax for a day or two, is Atlantic city any good?

The last weekend of may is typically when the east coast beaches open. Before that the water and weather is a little cold. The further south you go, the better your chance of getting weather that is warm enough to dip into the ocean.

Atlantic City is no good, I second Cape May as being a nice place, but if you are traveling in May consider Ocean City MD, Virginia Beach, or the NC outerbanks as better options.

Is it worth a visit to Niagra falls too, and if so places to visit & stay on the way ?

It's a long way on a short trip. Unless you want to make it and the area a focus of your trip, with a night or two in Toronto, I wouldnt include it.

Also a good reasonably priced safe base to stay in DC & NYC don't mind travel via metro etc ?

What is reasonably priced? $100 a night? $150 a night? What kind of neighborhood do you want?

Would like to take in a US sporting event during this trip if possible so any ideas?

Games are cheaper if famous teams are not playing. For instance Mets games are always cheaper than Yankees games in NYC. Outside NY and DC games are cheaper still. Baltimore has one of the most attractive Ball Parks on the edge of it's downtown and the Orioles are good but the tickets are cheap.

Very helpful Thanks

Scalper ?

The same as the "touts" we have outside UK stadiums / venues knocking out tickets ?

Cheers for your help ..

I tend to recommend minor league sports for people who want a quirky Americana experience. The tickets are typically cheap, the promotions associated with the game are designed to engage people who aren't hard core fans, and that Rocket City Trash Pandas ball cap you bought at the gift shop is going to be a collector's item someday (https://trashpandas.milbstore.com/store.cfm?store_id=225)

For the full 2019 minor league baseball schedule including multiple levels of leagues (AAA, AA, A and rookie)

https://www.milb.com/

Good evening Thanks for your time and advice very helpful .....

I'm struggling to find anywhere reasonably priced in DC to stay , and it will probably be the same in NYC. as you said
IN DC we are happy to travel in from a nice safe neighbourhood hopefully linked by the Metro , any suggestions would be helpful (Up to $150 mark )

NYC i have been told to try the Jersey city area ....and we will probably look into 3 nights as you suggested..

Cape May & the other beach areas you suggested sounds as if they are worth a visit .

Cheers for your help

8 days or so by car exploring Virginia & West Virginia , North Carolina ,Pennsylvania, Delaware before spending last 2 nights in NYC

That's not as much time as you may think. And if you haven't been to NYC before, you may want to add a few more days.

I would suggest a couple days out in Charlottesville for some mountains, then heading east to Chincoteague, across the Delaware ferry to Cape May, then up to NYC.

Also a suitable lovely beach resort to relax for a day or two, is Atlantic city any good?

AC is the antithesis of "lovely beach resort."

Is it worth a visit to Niagra falls too, and if so places to visit & stay on the way ?

Niagara Falls is very far out of the way. Skip it.

Also a good reasonably priced safe base to stay in DC & NYC don't mind travel via metro etc ?

What is "reasonably priced," in numbers? My "reasonable" may be your "unLet's put it this way: $100 per night is considered "very cheap" in NYC.

Would like to take in a US sporting event during this trip if possible so any ideas?

You have three main options: basketball, baseball, and hockey.
Specifically, your likely options in the region are the Nationals, Orioles, Phillies, Yankees, and Mets (baseball), Wizards, 76ers, Knicks, and Nets (basketball), and Capitals (defending champions), Flyers, Devils, Rangers, and Islanders (hockey).

Years ago I went to the baseball stadium in New York City the day of a game and got a cheap ticket from a scalper, 15 USD or so.
The same as the "touts" we have outside UK stadiums / venues knocking out tickets

Be aware that it is illegal to scalp/resell tickets outside of the NYC stadiums.

the Orioles are good

The Orioles are absolutely terrible. Worst in the league last year, and not even close.

I would disagree about restaurants in Philly, et al. being 1/2 what they are in DC or NYC. You can still find a good meal at a decent price in DC (where I live) or NYC. You also can find overpriced mediocrity w/o difficulty in Philadelphia, Richmond, or Baltimore---0-places I have visited often.

There is a string of resort towns from Southern New Jersey to Maryland, all with different personalities---Wildwood which is rather working class with a large boardwalk, Cape May is relative upmarket, quaint but stuffy, Rehoboth (which actually includes Dewey Beach and upscale Bethany Beach) is more mid-market and Ocean City is a little less so and more noisy. Rehoboth has a state park and some varied scenery/things to do. You might base yourself in one of these towns and explore the others. There are numerous beach towns along the barrier islands in NC, but I'd agree an 8 day trip including NC seems a bit too much.

May is a big season for student groups in DC which will book up hotels that regularly host that trade. It's a prime month for meetings which affects DC & NYC. You will probably do better in DC and NYC if you stay there on the weekends. There are hotels near metro stations in DC's near suburbs--Crystal City in Arlington being close-in. There are others near the end of the Yellow Line at Huntington. Parking often costs money in suburban locations, but is sometimes waived on weekends. You really do not need a car in DC and certainly not in NYC.

What do you want to see in NC?----I'll be candid and say that it's one of my least favorite states to drive and I've never found any of the major centers particularly interesting. Lots of kudzu (a native weed) and strip malls which makes it boring.

The view along the skyline drive/Blue Ridge Parkway tends to be a lot of the same thing--people often follow this to Asheville which is a sortof artsy place that's become a mix of upscale retirement and tourist trap.

West Virginia tends to be under asked about here---Monongehela National Forest has many things to see--Highland Drive/Cranberry area, Spruce Knob, Seneca Rocks (an easy if uphill climb).

What are you looking for in Pennsylvania---it tends to be ignored by people her but really you have to have specific interests to get something out of it?

Delaware? other than Rehoboth, not much to see.

The Eastern Shore in Maryland and nearby Annapolis make for nice places to drive--Annapolis is a old, concentrated town--a bit of a tourist trap but it has character and a little bit of night life. Eastern Shore has many quaint towns.