Hello, I will be visiting New York next week and I would like to take a day trip to see some fall foliage. Will this be worth the drive or is it a long trip? Considering maybe Connecticut or Boston. Any tips or ideas would be greatly appreciated.

You might try the trip we will take this weekend. Drive North on the Taconic Parkway about 2 hours. Get off in the small town of Millbrooke. There are good restaurants, wineries and antique stores. A farmers market in town every Saturday. Get some apples and pumpkins!There are horse farms, hunt clubs, and the trees are getting more colorful each day. All of this on winding roads..lovely~
Have fun!

This may not have the cache of a drive thru the mountains of NH or VT, however I suspect that next week the colors in Central Park will be "peak". Local NYC residents can better confirm how things are looking.

Drive up the Palisades Parkway to Harriman State Park. (30 miles) Go to Bear Mountain Inn in the park for lunch (fair food but authentic place...chain from across the Hudson in Revolution), Applalachan (sp?) trail crosses Inn parking lot, West Point Military Academy 10 minutes further. Beautiful trees and Hudson River scenery. Plus, Woodbury Common (best high end discount shopping center in US) right there.. exit 16 Thruway, I think. What else could anybody want??

Both the Palisades suggestion and the Taconic one are good. You definately do not need to head as far north as Boston.

If you like antique shopping, the town of Hudson, in Columbia County, off the Taconic, has become a haven for antique dealers. I wouldn't call the town overly charming, but the surrounding countryside is very pretty. The Adams Inn, just a few miles away across the Hudson, has a good restaurant.

Elaine,
We were there (Bear Mt) last weekend and while there were a few trees changed, the colors are mostly still green. The Bear Mt Inn is undergoing construction, so one must bring a picnic or eat in the main dining room upstairs.
A little further north would be Cold Springs where we also traveled to. But to be in a colorful woodsy area, one must go a little farther north still.
Central Park is getting there but no really peaking yet.

You might also want to consider a drive west a bit to New Hope, PA. Western NJ is very nice and New Hope is a great way to spend an afternoon. It's about 1.5 hours from NYC but could be longer if you take a more scenic route.

Another option is to forget driving & take a cruise up the Hudson. Look at the full day cruises here.
http://www.nywaterway.com/sightsee_fullday.html

I'm very happy the trees have not changed yet. It has been a very warm, pleasant September and October. I hope it continues, but...it is always cold for Halloween. After the May and June we had, we deserve a warm Fall.

Another great option is to take the MTA train up to Poughkeepsi and return. Get on the train in Grand Central station. Another nice drive is via rt 17 into New York state from Jersey.

If you are renting a car, take the New York State Thruway up to the Kingston exit and drive up Route 28. You can take a small detour through Woodstock. Continue up Route 28 and you can see some great foliage.

Rt. 17 is a beautiful ride, and we usually take Palisades to Rt. 6 to get there, which should be pretty the whole way. A river runs along much of Rt. 17, adding to the scenery. Although we drive it several times a year and are always impressed with the views, the best by far are in the fall. A nice side trip might be to stop by some of the apple orchards for fresh picked apples and homemade cider. How long a drive are you looking for?

Was up to Torrington,Ct., yesterday. Leaves are changing nicely. I don't think New Hope, Pa., will be at or near peak by next week, unfortunately. I live in Princeton, and have seen minimal change. My suggestion is to go north, where you are guaranteed to have a good view.

You also might consider Route 7 in Litchfield County in NW Connecticut.