Affordable Weekend Getaway near NYC and Philly?
 

Can you recommend any good/charming places and hotels in between NYC and Philly for a weekend getaway for a young 20-something couple? Anything in NJ or PA between the two cities would be ideal, but anywhere that's a shorter drive than 3 hours or so would be great. In a dream world, there would be a fantastic deal of less than $150 for both nights combined.

We know Atlantic City has amazing deals on fantastic hotels, but it seems like everything else get's to be pretty expensive there, and the end of April isn't really beach weather! Any other suggestions? Perhaps near a vineyard or brewery? He's into nature and beer and I'm into art and culture, but for such a short trip, anything goes! We are going to arrive late on a Friday night in late April, spend Saturday exploring wherever we wind up, and then leave after lunch on Sunday.

I'd love to hear from personal experience in the area! Thanks so much :)

New Hope, PA, would be a logical choice, but not in your budget of $75/nt. I suggest you forget Fri. night and leave for the destination early Sat. a.m., saving yourself the cost of one night's accommodations.

Chadds Ford has a winery, but not sure about the $75 a night. Even the B&B's tend to run more than that. Another option would be Doylestown, a lovely little historic town with some interesting sightseeing.

Further afield, and with accommodation in all price ranges, there is Lancaster: it's not between the two, but not all that far, either. Landis Valley is one of my favorite sites in that area.

Princeton, NJ is about halfway and a beautiful spot. Staybridge Suites in Cranbury, NJ is 8 miles away and showing for $90/night on hotels.com with very good reviews. The Hampton Inn in Princeton gets great reviews and can be booked for ~$100/night including breakfast.

Spring Lake, NJ is another idea. A sweet Victorian town on the water, you might find a nice deal before the start of the summer season at one of the inns or b & b's there.

One advantage of either of these options is the person from NYC could take a train rather than driving

There are a few inns in New Hope advertising rates close to 75 a night -- I have not stayed in any of them but New Hope/Lambertville would be a great choice. The Delaware is really pretty, there are great little shops in both towns and you can walk right across the river. We go down for a day trip all the time.
New Hope is more touristy/hippie/t-shirt shop kind of place whereas Lambertville is more antiques, home goods, etc. as far as the vibe.
If you felt like a splurge, I would suggest http://www.woolvertoninn.com/rooms.html The Woolverton Inn -- a bit further up in Stockton on the Delaware. This entire area is really special and the Woolverton is one of the best little inns around -- they even have sheep! Great beds, breakfast ... and charming location.

These are all great suggestions! New Hope seems lovely though it seems like the only places in our budget are crummy motels. We are really considering Princeton, that looks pretty good! Even Atlantic City only has those amazing rates on weekdays, not weekends. We will keep looking and see if any cheaper prices come up out of last minute deals. Thanks for the advice! Any additional suggestions are welcome!