I am looking for a weekend get away no more than 45 miles from Manhattan over Easter weekend. I tend to love towns that are quaint or have some local charm.

1. What towns or cities do you recommend?
2. What to do or see?
3. Where to eat?
4. Where to stay?

My husband and I are in our mid 30s and like a wide range of things from upscale to charming to bed and breakfasts to hockey.

Anything goes.

45 miles doesn't get you very far--that's still well within commuting distance to the city!

Still, there are a couple of suggestions I can make (and some will be more like 50-55 miles away)

CT: New Canaan (very upscale shopping--couple of B&Bs)
South Norwalk (funkier area)
NYS
Tarrytown & nearby area (historic houses nearby)
Cold Spring (quainter town, antiques shops and restaurants, park that's right on the Hudson River,couple of B&Bs)

BUT
Easter weekend may mean some places are closed and restaurants have different menus and may be already booked up

45 minutes on a rainy Friday night gets you as far as the Bronx.

You can add Ridgefield, CT to the list

Agree that 45 mi. is not far enough for quaint. There are a few quaint'ish towns due north like Sneden's Landing and Piermont, but no hotels or inns I know of.

Here's a website that covers the Hudson Valley area starting at Tarrytown.
http://hudsonvalley.org/

You might also consider heading south to New Hope, Pa/Lamberville, NJ area. It's further than 45 miles.

Really 45 minutes is still the suburbs - except at rush hour - when the suburbs take an hour and a half.

And you don;t say by car or train. Train MAY - depending on which you take - get you a little further. But when you get there it will be hard to get around except using cabs.

hey, guys,
amandaamanda said 45 MILES, not 45 MINUTES (and why not 50 miles, I wonder...)
Only in the middle of the night does 45 miles equal 45 minutes

Sorry-45 miles north gets you to North Salem or so.

45 miles to long Island doesn't make the Hamptons.

Someone who knows Jersey can clue us in.

Even tho it's not 45 miles or 45 minutes you want Washington and Litchfield CT-or even Lake Waramaug CT