Escape From NYC: Summer Edition
Hamptons & Fire Island
Certainly the most glamorous in terms of the reputation The Hamptons enjoy. A place where the rich and famous go to play but there are always less crowded/trendy places to go enjoy some space and quiet, walk the empty beaches. Just ninety minutes from the City, the destination has lovely beaches, dramatic dunes, shingled windmills, and famous light that attracted artists like Jackson Pollock and Winslow Homer to paint in its hamlets. The Hamptons are a group of towns on Long Island – from Southampton and East Hampton and their many hamlets and villages, including Sag Harbor, Water Mill, Bridgehampton and the gem at the end, Montauk – they all have miles of museums, antique shops, restaurants. Lots of ways to get there: car (bad traffic in the summer) train, and bus (Hampton Jitney is a popular option). Fire Island on the other hand is a 32-mile-long narrow stretch of pristine barrier island forming part of the Fire Island National Seashore. Vehicles aren’t allowed on most of the island, which is accessible by ferry, private boat, and water taxi,
Hudson Valley
Fleeing the City has never been so easy with Metro North trains leaving every hour from Grand Central Station, to the Hudson Valley which extends 150 miles above the tip of Manhattan north to Albany. (*note if you are going to Hudson, NY, you actually have to take Amtrak from Penn Station) You’ll find idyllic countryside and lovely waterfront walkways, where things seem to reflect a simpler time. Life moves a little bit slower in the valley, and you come here to hike, or shop the antique stores, bike & pause over a glass of wine in the afternoon, and dine. Many f the towns offer their own unique charm, though some highlights include:
-MINNEWASKA STATE PARK PRESERVE
-BLUE HILL AT STONE BARNS (Dining)
-FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT HOME, PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
-STORM KING ART CENTER
Tarrytown/Sleepy Hollow: Cold Spring, Beacon, Hudson *COMING SOON
Upstate NY
Woodstock/Saugerties/Phoenicia/Catskills
Jersey Shore
This area has recently got a bad rap due to a certain terrible reality show. But the truth is this area is pretty & charming, with beach towns to appeal to many tastes. A leisurely breakfast on the veranda of a historic home, a long walk with waves nipping at their toes, and an evening performance at an equity theater may appeal to some. Others may opt for a weekend of stores and spas, amusements on a bustling boardwalk, and dancing the night away to the sounds of celebrated DJs. All are great reasons to take a trip “Down the Shore.” *Tip: Cape May is a favorite!
Connecticut – *See Separate Post
So close to the City, there is a reason why people commute daily for work from their beautiful homes.
Cape Cod/Nantucket/Martha’s Vineyard
This windswept land of sandy beaches and dunes has compelling natural beauty. Everyone comes for the seaside, yet the cranberry bogs, birch and beech forests, freshwater ponds, and interior marshlands are wonderful too. Local history is fascinating; whale-watching provides an exhilarating experience of the natural world; cycling trails lace the landscape; shops purvey everything from antiques to pure kitsch; and you can dine on simple, fresh seafood, creative contemporary cuisine, or most anything in between. Although there are a number of beach front villages to choose from, there are few favorites (in terms of larger towns) Provincetown, at the very tip of Cape Cod, has long been a favorite for artists & musicians, with plenty of beaches, miles of walking and cycling paths, kayaking, and boat excursions, Provincetown is a lively and popular resort. Nantucket, an excursion onto itself, founded by colonists in 1659, the town of Nantucket is the main settlement of Nantucket, a 15-mile-long island 30 miles south of Cape Cod. The island of Martha’s Vineyard lies only five miles south of Cape Cod, and you can get there by car and passenger ferries from Woods Hole on Cape Cod or from New Bedford. A bit more laid-back than Nantucket, “The Vineyard” has six small towns, each with its own distinct character and miles of beaches, some of which lie beneath high bluffs.
Newport
A seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States. The City of Newport is located approximately 37 miles (60 km) south-east of Providence, 21 miles (34 km) south of Fall River, and 74 miles (119 km) south of Boston. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions. It’s a bit ritzy but a nice stop on a road trip to the Cape.