Oliver

hi folks...I am visiting my brother in NY for christmas and between the 25th and the 28th, I would like to venture outside the city for a day using his new car. YES!! any suggestions for a nice drive?...preferably somewhere where I could visit a small town with a main street...by the water perhaps etc. i'm from florida and am looking for views and towns we don't have here. my brother told me cold springs but he said it has become touristy lately. any suggestions?

elllen

Pretty brave soul if you like to drive anywhere upstate in december. i would suggest mystic in ct but it'd be freezing though so bundle up.

nina

Lots of choices Oliver. If you want to get a feel for the Rodeo drive of the East you could head to Greenwich and stroll down the Greenwich Avenue, then head to backcountry or Belle Haven and check out some bona fide mansions. It's fun.

Voted one of the most charming Main streets anywhere is in Ridgefield Ct. Very pretty, and quintessential New England.

You could also drive a bit further to Litchfield Connecticut. The town green has been in many calenders - then head over for a drive around Lake Waramaug (very pretty) and do a wine tasting at Hopkins Vineyard.

There's Stonington Ct, which I like better than Mystic, lots of charming old whaling homes, and it's on the water.

Why don't you tell us just how far you want to drive?

My pick would be Litchfield - Lake Waramaug. It will give you a real taste of New England plus it's a great drive.

DB

Hey, I was going to say Litchfield! But I wanted to check the mileage first. Sure enough, Nina stole my idea! I like Mystic area a lot, but some might call that touristy too. Well worth considering if you want water though. I say, go to one of the classic New England towns with a green and white steeples. Litchfield is perfect. When someone is looking for classic New England I send them to the Woodstock, VT area, but that is too far for a day. Litchfield fills the bill nicely.

Oliver

Thanks guys for your suggestions. I was thinking of something closer to manhattan though. I don't think my brother will like it if I drove out all the way to ct. bedford, westchester, ossining? i love poring through antique stores or just walking around. thnks again!!

Flynn

Cold Spring, New York. Beautiful views of the Hudson. It shouldn't be that crowded - it's more of a springtime/autumn town.

Nyack is also a very cute town on the water and closer to Manhattan. You could visit the Edward Hopper House while there.

Flynn

P.S. Both Cold Spring and Nyack have a bunch of antique shops/collectives markets.

xx

For a short and simple drive (only about an hour), Cold Spring is fine. Cute Main street with antiques shops, restaurants, not much else--Popular with New Yorkers because the trains goes right into town (so you don't need a car) but other than some spring weekends, not overrrun with tourists.

You can walk to the end of Main street (about 6-8 blocks in total length) go by stairs under the train tracks that run through town and get right to a tiny "park" on the river with a little gazebo and a few benches, amazing views at Storm King Mountain/West Point area which is very close right across the river. There is a historic house a few miles outh of town, Boscobel, but I think they might be closed then. If not, definitely worth a short visit.


Litchfield and other areas are nice but
not on the water, and are, IMO much more touristy and "upscale suburban", not really small town.

xxx

I'm not from NY but we did a day trip when we went upstate by the Hudson River to Newburgh, NY area and saw the Rockefeller and other mansions and went to the big outlet mall which had some true sample sales. We loved the area and had a wonderful time.

nyer

Newburgh is kind of a depressed town on the western side of the Hudson. The "big outlet mall" was probably Woodbury Common, a little further south , and the days after Christmas are likely to be as much of a zoo (as in waiting an hour to find parking)as before the holiday

The Rockefeller mansion, Kykuit, is in Tarrytown, about halfway between NYC and Cold Spring, on the eastern side of the Hudson, Unfortunately, it is closed for the winter (last day was Nov 4th, I think). Lyndhurst, another mansion in Tarrytown, on the river, is open weekends for pre-Christmas tours, but I don't know if it's open after the holiday.

Bill

Newburgh. No!

suzanne

You should go where the Christmas lights are! There are pockets in Westchester full of neighbors trying to outdo each other with Chrismas lights and decorations on their front lawns. It's a hoot!

There are also mansions that are spectacularly lit up at night. We used to always drive to them, growing up...I think they were in Tarrytown?

PS Cold Spring is a favorite of mine...but only in warmer weather...it's a place where you want to stroll around, eat lunch in an outdoor cafe and sit by the river.

Nic

Go over the George Washington Bridge, get on the Palisades Parkway to exit 3.Turn left at the light and drive straight. Turn right at the Tallman State Park sign. Take that little windey road to the stop sign.Turn right. Take that road into town.
You are now in Piermont NY. Woody Allen filmed the Purple Rose of Cairo here. You can walk in and out of the shops, get a drink at the Sante Fe restaurant, watch a little football. Check out the antiques. Pick up some amazing baked goods at the Runcible Spoon Bakery, where you might run into Lorraine Bracco or Bill Murray. Wander over to the walkway along the Hudson River and look to your right. That is New York City!
Enjoy your visit!

xx

Does Freeport still have stores on Main Street and Merrick Rd? (haven't been back for 22 years) I'm sure it still has the waterfront.

Oliver

Golly, you folks are great!! Thanks for all your suggestions. I liked Nic's the best because Woody A is my god. I also like Cold Springs though..the proximity to the water sounds great...thanks y'all.

Wood

Woody Allen is your god? Sure he's a comic genius, but you don't have a penchant for underage adopted asian children of women you are dating, do you?

Susie Q

My suggestion would be Spring Lake, NJ.
A pretty town with a great boardwalk and nice Main Street (Third Ave.).

tjc

If you wake up and there's Snow on the ground, you may not want to venture as far as Litchfield,Newburgh,etc. Driving to Piermont might still be doable.You could also visit Nyack for the afternoon.There are two nice walking streets,old homes along the Hudson River,antiques to browse, a YMCA for a quick swim and places to choose for dinner or a hot drink to watch the world go by.Enjoy

Oliver

eeeks, first time i got me a troll. cool!!

ny

Oliver:
I enjoy Cold Spring. Especially strolling on Main Street. Two great restaurants. Henry's on the Hudson (It really is not located on the Hudson. ) It is located on route 9D and Main Street. The second choice is The Depot. (it is located on the Hudson). it is the Original cold Srping Train Depot. Metro North now stops a few yards south.
Another venture is about 12 miles up 9D to a town called Beacon. It is going through a wonderful transition period. The east end of Main Street has some wonderful shops, a pub and THE LITTLE PIE SHOP. Ussed to be the Home of the world's highest incline railway. On MT Beacon you can still see where the tracks were located. If you need directions to either town or are interested in Woodbury Commons (a ZOO around and just after Christmas) Please let me know!