Thanks for the great tips.
Landing on Wed so will be driving down on Thurs
Will put USS Constitution on the list.
Will check Waze before travelling but am veering towards the coastal route.

Am really considering spending a night somewhere along rather than the 3 nights in NY.
The route via Long Island looks interesting. 3hr+ to get there and 2hr + to get to Manhattan after.
I might stay a night there to make the pace more leisurely.

Thanks for letting me know about the toll - completely unaware about the transponder. I presume I need to top it up or pay someone at some stage

Looked at the train but I think driving will give more flexibility.
Never been to this part of US before.