I have just bought tickets to NYC in mid July. I know it is hot then but the only time that I could make the trip. My son lives in NYC and my husband and I have 13 days for visiting.
I have been to NYC 3 times before. I am going to spend time with my son, and do all the non touristy things that I am interested in.
I do not want to spend my entire 13 days in NYC. I have the first 5 nights booked. We are staying at Hotel on Rivington - because it is close to where my son lives.
I am also spending the last 3 nights there.

We would love to then spend 5 nights somewhere else, but do not know where to go. I thought about Boston and then Bar Harbour, but concerned that there will be lots of people on holiday.
Thought to take a flight to New Orleans, but I am sure it will be very very hot.

can someone please make some suggestions. I have not really seen the East coast of the US. We have been to LA, and SF.
Where should we go????

You could go out to Long Island visiting the North Fork & south Fork which include many quaint towns
Out to Montauk at the end where the Lighthouse is.

If it were me, I'd look for someplace somewhat cooler than NYC for your extra nights. There are dozens of places within easy driving or train distance from the city in New England and Upstate NY. If you are willing to rent a car, the Hudson Valley region is beautiful (you can get to many of the best places by train, but you need some transportation to get around once you're there. But it's expensive to rent a car in the city; it's much cheaper from the airport or from an outlet north of the city. You could aim further north and go to Niagara Falls, stopping along the way in the Finger Lakes, or you could go to the Thousand Islands on the Canadian border or to Lake George. All these places are busy in the summer, but quite doable.

The last place I'd go is New Orleans, especially if you have never been to the east coast. NO is not on the east coast, and it's extraordinarily hot in the summer. Better to head toward New Hampshire or Vermont. Or even Cape Cod; it's busy but not so bad during the week I'm not a huge fan of Long Island in the summer because it's not really set up for hotel visitors since most accommodations are in houses that rent by the week, month, or the whole summer, and 5 days is not a week. But during the week it can be tolerably dealt with.

I think the Hudson VAlley suggestion is perfect. There is so much to see and do - you'll easily fill 5 days, and it's lovely to boot. Here's a link to a thread from when I was planning a similar getaway. Lots of suggestions.

As for New Orleans, the two hottest places I've ever been in my life were Luxor in August and New Orleans in July. Both brutal!

Hudson Valley

How about New London CT? I really liked the Submarine museum. I got to take a self guided tour of the Nautilus and saw a lot of other neat stuff. There are many NE Regional trains that stop there on the way from NYP to BOS. The #86 would probably be good for you. Leaves NYP at 12:30 and is in New London about 3PM.

Philadelphia. Easy by train and enough to do to take up 5 days.

It's not that exciting that I'd want to spend 5 nights there, but you could go up to Providence RI and that area, Newport, see the mansions, etc. There are beaches, also. You could combine that with New London, actually.

Take the NE Regional train, you can go to New London and then Providence. You'd need to rent a car there, though. to go to Newport.

https://www.amtrak.com/routes/northe...nal-train.html

I really enjoyed our short trip to Hyde Park, NY area. Visited the Roosevelt homes, ate well at the CIA and had a great time. They still have an old fashioned drive in movie.

My other choice would be Cape Cod.

I think the Hudson River Valley is a good suggestion
If you want, you could make a loop back to New York by heading east over to the Berkshires in western Massachusetts. Both areas are scenic with lots to do, but they will be crowded in July.

Thanks all. have been researching quite a bit. Would love to visit Boston, but hotel prices at that time are really very high.
Will look into all the suggestions.

New England!!!
Vermont, New Hampshire, or Maine
Western Massachusetts (the Berkshires)
Providence Rhode Island

I like the combination of the Hudson Valley and the Berkshires. If you include the Berkshires, try to take in a concert at Tanglewood. Tickets go on sale this Sunday, Feb. 9th.

https://www.bso.org/brands/tanglewoo...ighlights.aspx