Things to do OUTSIDE NYC?
 

Hi, at the end of April I am flying LHR-MAN-ORD-EWR-ORD-MAN-LHR for no other reason than it will get me *G with BD.

So five days in New York, cool!, trouble is I have been to New York several times over the last 18 months and although I am sure there is still plenty to see I need some advice on places to go outside the city.

I don't drive so public transport is a must. I could fly but money is tight and anyway I do enough of that at work. Is Atlantic City worth a visit? what about New Jersey? I am open to any suggestions as long as they are cheap (and I mean really CHEAP!) and do not need a car. I can stay in the city and day-trip or maybe do a 2/3 day excursion.

Of course if you can think of something really good in NYC I would be very happy to hear about it.

Thanks for any help you can give, and can I just say there is no way I would be anywhere near Gold status without FT!

You can get to Atlantic City for very cheap. The Academy Busses which leave from the Port Authority cost about $25-$30(RT) and then, depending upon which casino they bring you to (it differs based upon time of departure) you get $xx in cash back and/or $xx towards food at the hotel.

You could also grab some take-out lunch and take the train to Hoboken (PATH train) or Brooklyn (subway)... sit by the river and eat your lunch with a postcard view of the Manhattan Skyline. In Brooklyn i'd head towards "the promenade in Brooklyn Heights" and in Hoboken i'd head towards "Pier A" park.

Also free, is to walk the Brooklyn Bridge... you can walk it both ways, but if you're tired and don't want to walk as much, take the subway to Brooklyn and then walk the bridge back towards Manhattan... taking in the NYC Skyline with other NYers.

There is also the ferry to Staten Island which passes right by the Statue of Liberty. You can stay on the ferry and simply roundtrip it, hopefully timing it so that your return to Manhattan is near dusk/sunset and you can see the city glow from the reflection of the sun as the lights of the city begin to illuminate.

thanks a lot thereuare for the great advice, however I have kinda done most of things you suggest in New York. A side trip to Atlantic city sounds fun, is there anything else there other than casinos, I went to LAS last summer and frankly I don't think casinos are really my thing!

Personally I think casinos are the big reason to visit Atlantic City. I think there are fewer non-gambling things to do there than there are in Las Vegas. If you don't like casinos, I don't think it would be worth the trip.

If you are not into casinos, then forget about a trip to AC. The city itself is pretty grim. While it is very cheap to get there, you get what you pay for.

There are plenty of other NJ seashore destinations that you can reach for a very modest sum via NJ Transit (check the stops on the North Jersey Coast line). A walk on the boardwalk is nice in the end of April. The train line goes quite close to the beach in spots, so it's just about a 20-minute walk from the stations in Long Branch, Asbury Park, etc. (I grew up right there.) Asbury Park is worth a look--people have touted its "renaissance" but for me, the draw is the sort of crumbling seediness that has taken over this once-high-toned town. It makes for a good photo tour.

You can take in a show at the NJ Performing Arts Center in Newark and eat some good Portuguese food there. You can take NJ Transit + SEPTA to Philadelphia (much cheaper than Amtrak) and do pretty much anything.

Let's start in the 5 boroughs---yes, I know you said you've done things in NYC already. But have you done the following:

1. Taken the train to the NY Botanical Gardens in the Bronx? At the end of April, they are truly stunning.
2. Gone to the Bronx Zoo?
3. Played tennis at the National Tennis Center in Flushing?

Outside of NYC:

1. Daytrip to Mystic Seaport. You can get there via Amtrak. See if this interests you: http://www.mysticseaport.org/index.c...894823B5CDBB57

2. Vanderbilt Mansion. Take Metro North to Poughkeepsie and then take a taxi to the mansion. http://www.nps.gov/vama & http://www.hudsonrivervalley.com/ind...d=6&page_id=56

Things to do OUTSIDE NYC?
 

IKEA and KIDS World Outlet:
http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/store...me=elizabeth#1

Free Shuttle Buses From Manhattan
On Saturdays and Sundays the free IKEA Elizabeth (round trip only) shuttle bus, operates out of the Port Authority Terminal located in New York City, at Eight Ave and 42nd St. Buses will depart from Gate #5 on the lower concourse near Academy bus line. Departures are on the half hour with service available on Saturdays & Sundays bet 10:00am - 2:30pm.

Return trips are also on the half hour with service available from
noon to 6:00pm.

The Food court has great swedish meatballs and a great view of planes taking off and landing from Newark Airport runways

Breakfast
Eggs, potatoes and bacon. For an additional $1.29 you could have two Swedish pancakes and coffee for $.79cents.
0.99
Meatballs
Try our famous traditional prepared 10 Swedish meatballs serve with lingonbery and roasted potatoes for
4.29
Pasta !
Enjoy a late lunch or early dinner at IKEA. Kids menu Our restaurant offers children's macaroni and cheese dish and drink for only $.99 !
.
Bistro
Need some food for the ride home? Stop by the IKEA Bistro, located past the cash lanes in the front lobby, and get IKEA Cinnamon buns $4/6pk. Baked fresh daily. Enjoy right away or easily reheat later at home.
$4.00

:eek:

Breakneck Ridge
 

If you like hiking, you could take Metro-North up to Breakneck Ridge.. that service only runs on Saturday and Sunday though. You just take the Hudson line Northbound, and the Breakneck Ridge stop is a small wooden stand just north of Cold Spring. You do have to request the stop, I believe. There are two trains up in the morning, and two trains back in the late afternoon/evening. You can find the schedule here. There is a lot of nice hiking to be done in the area, with great views of the Hudson - after you're done, you could either walk or take the train to downtown Cold Spring, which is another nice place to spend a couple of hours.

Looks like the OP's already taken his trip, but I thought I'd throw a few more suggestions for anyone who comes across this topic in the future:

-- The U.S. Military Academy at West Point (I believe) still offers free tours of its campus. You can get there from the Port Authority Bus Terminal via Shortline bus for about $15 each way.

-- Bear Mountain State Park is a great place to take in the Hudson Highlands. Also available from PABT via Shortline.

-- In the summers, Rye Playland is a great old-time amusement park in Westchester County on Long Island Sound. Get there via Metro-North Commuter Railroad's New Haven Line from Grand Central to Rye and switch to Bee-Line bus. (Seasonal: May to September or so).

-- Philadelphia is about 2.5 hours away from Penn Station via NJ Transit and SEPTA trains. For about $15-$20 each way, you can buy a NJ Transit ticket from Penn Station to Trenton and a SEPTA ticket from Trenton to Center City Philadelphia. The schedules are coordinated to make the switch easily, and there's more than enough down here in Philly to keep you busy for a couple of days.

- Newark Bears baseball game. Convenient to mid-town Direct service from Manhattan, and relatively cheap entertainment at US$9/ticket (box seats).

You may even see a major league cast off like Ricky Henderson, or lesser known siblings of prominent major leaguers like Ozzie Conseco and Bobby Bonds !

Hop on one of the various cheap bus services from Chinatown to Boston, if you haven't seen it. It's a very accessible, walking/public transportation city with lots for all tastes.

Check out DIA:Beacon if you have any interest at all in contemporary art, or just want to see a spectacular museum. You can find a lot about it online, it's great though - an utterly massive former factory conversion. Easy ride on the Metro-North train to Beacon, NY and a short walk from the station.