IDEAS: Second Week in New York - Spring

[NewNewYork]

Hi! Planning a trip to New York next year.

Have been before but first time taking our 10yo. Will be Easter half term, so early April.

We can do one or two weeks. One week will be plenty for manhattan, but I'm wondering whether to tack on a second week and explore the wider area.

Id love some ideas please! Long Island - could maybe do a ferry out to a few places from there. Or maybe Amtrak upstate?

I'm also open to an internal flight to miami and doing a week in the Keys.

But yeah.... has anyone got any ideas or suggestions?

We love nature but also fine to do another week of cities. Just throw your ideas and experiences at me please!

Thanks!

Could you do Orlando? It’s perfect weather - warm and dry but not too hot. The crowds aren’t too high if you don’t go Easter week, and 10yo is perfect age. If you don’t want to spend an entire week doing theme parks, take a day trip out to NASA. My tween loved it!

Boston? Mine moved it there and quite different to NY

Washington DC is great for a city break, loads of museums which are all free, as is the zoo!

I love orlando! We actually went last year 🤭 so I quite like the idea of going back!

Didn't manage to leave the parks though and the guidebooks show that there is so much more to explore, so I might revise that idea! Thanks!

Ooh, how so? Like the pace, space or attractions?

I really like the look of the scenersoars that way so def up for exploring that area.

Thank you! Do you think there is a weeks worth in amd around that area after NYC or do you think its better done e.g. via train with a few stops?

Just a bit less manic.

we went October so we went to Salem for a day which was an experience, also out to Harvard.

there were quite a few other places I would like to have visited if we had time.

You could have a couple of nights in Philadelphia on the way to DC? It’s probably got enough to keep you going for a week though, I just wondered if you’d be citied out by then??

I think that's my worry, too much of a good thing. But need to balance it with too much travel. For NYC, I was thinking the hits: Central Park, Top of the Rock, museums, food, sights etc then perhaps a visit to Long Island for beaches, Brooklyn for the skyline view , maybe even some whale watching, botanical gardens, so anything that mixes it up. I'll see what Philly has! Thanks!

I love the idea of Salem! Off to have a Google in and around there 🤩

I think that's how I feel, we're flying miles to get to NY so I want to maximise our time and experiences

Just remembered - we did a day trip to Philly from NY

I'm a New Yorker with family in the Boston area, and I came on to suggest Boston. It's a lovely city, smaller and more manageable than NYC, but still with a lot to see and do.

Salem is a bit of fun, especially the tours of the colonial-era houses. The Peabody Essex Museum is fabulous and shouldn't be missed. The downside is that Salem is absolutely mobbed with tourists, to the point where you can't park, find a place to eat without booking, or move freely on the pavements. Do not go on a weekend. If you do go, one of the best seafood restaurants in the Boston area is Turner's Seafood right in downtown Salem.

I'm happy to answer questions about either NYC or Boston.