The best summer getaways from NYC

3hrs 20min from NYC

If you want to treat yourself to a swanky summer getaway, Newport, Rhode Island is bursting with finesse resorts, fancy waterfront restaurants and swanky mansions you can visit and pretend you’re a Vanderbilt. 

Once you’re pampered and immersed in the exterior beauty of Rhode Island, head indoors to enjoy the lavish properties known as Newport Mansions. Guided tours are available for Chateau-sur-Mer, Chepstow, Hunter House, Isaac Bell House and Kingscote. Afterward, feast like a debauchee and go in on some lobster claws at The Mooring—an indoor and outdoor top-of-the-catch seafood restaurant.

3hrs 15mins from NYC

It’s right there, between Long Island’s North and South Forks, and yet Shelter Island is easy to miss: Yes, the 12.5-square-mile isle is small—in fact, the Mashomack Preserve occupies a third of its area—and it’s only accessible by ferry. But don’t expect an empty expanse: While it’s totes low-key, it’s also replete with historic 19th-century neighborhoods, troves of beaches and plenty of local characters to help you soak in the surroundings. You can even explore an intact 18th-century home at the Shelter Island Historical Society.

Right on the water, The Pridwin Hotel is a nostalgic getaway that’ll remind you of summer away at camp but much chicer. After a two-year renovation, it’s refitted to fashionable guests who want a comfortable stay with impeccable service. Plus, it’s within a short walk of a private beach and has access to bike and boat rentals.

Breakfast, lunch, picnic, whatever: It’s all up for grabs at Marie Eiffel Market, a dockside establishment where natives and visitors gather for great bites, such as lobster rolls and pillowy pain au chocolat.

1hr 15mins from NYC

Asbury Park got famous as the place Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band broke onto the scene. But as of this summer, its legendary rock club, the Stone Pony, will get some healthy competition. Asbury Lanes, the retro-fab bowling alley and snack-and-cocktail bar that closed in 2015, just reopened as a 600-person-capacity concert venue. The Lanes’ lineup is already a powerhouse, with Tennis, Kurt Vile and Lupe Fiasco hitting the stage this summer (and, on June 18, none other than the Boss himself). Plus, the actual bowling lanes remain, with a fancy new pin-setting  system.

Set in a once-deserted Salvation Army building, the trendy Asbury Hotel now has it all: a rooftop bar, outdoor movies, food trucks, live music, summery black-and-white photos from the city’s past and even eight-person bunks, in case you’re traveling with a crew.

Just a few blocks from the boardwalk, Kim Marie’s Eat n Drink Away is a wood-covered, homey hang that boasts a bangin’ hangover burger, with shore fries (thick-cut, with skins), bacon, oozing cheese and a fried egg.

4hrs 10mins from NYC 

For a classy and understated getaway, you can do a lot worse than the pastoral and chill Finger Lakes region. And the refined yet low-key village of Skaneateles is ace for tooling around the eponymous lake in an ultraquiet electric boat or exploring the many wineries nearby.

Launch your morning elegantly at the quaint dining room at Sherwood Inn with a butterific French croissant. Break for lunch at the nostalgic, summer-campy Doug’s Fish Fry—yep, the place famous for turning away Bill Clinton in the ’90s—where a model train runs through the whole facility. And of course, end with booze. Lately the Finger Lakes’ historically vino-centric beverage scene has diversified into cider, craft beer and whiskey, so take your pick from myriad tap rooms.

Wind down at the Mirbeau Inn & Spa, with its Claude Monet–inspired water gardens, luxe spa and—melding the best of both—an outdoor hot tub that looks like a natural outgrowth of the craggy rocks and lush plants all around you in this super gorgeous setup. 

2hrs 30mins from NYC

The ruggedly beautiful Catskill Mountains have a multicentury history of creative inspiration and adventure. Washington Irving set “Rip Van Winkle” among their peaks, and Thomas Cole’s paintings of the area wound up radically changing how artists depict landscapes. For a peek of what these folks found so inspiring, take the Hudson River School of Art Trail, which starts at Thomas Cole National Historic Site, and bask in views like the 260-foot-drop of Kaaterskill Falls.

This respite isn’t strictly about historical appreciation, though. In the past few years, that old Catskill creativity has extended to mountain-modern hotel options like Scribner’s Catskill Lodge. A hotshot design firm from Brooklyn (where else?) revamped the ’60s motor lodge last year into a 38-room boutique hotel that we describe as mountain-man sleek, with curvy gray couches near sharp Adirondack chairs, all set off by colorful boho textiles.

2hrs from NYC

New York State’s former capital has only gotten better with age. Establishing chef-inspired restaurants, music-driven bars and arty boutiques, a steady stream of creative entrepreneurs has made Kingston au courant once more, restoring the prime location as a perfect home base for exploring the Hudson Valley.

Proving that Kingston has the chops to be an elegant escape, four historic buildings have joined together to form the Hotel Kinsley, the town’s first destination accommodations. The smart, cozy rooms are graced with a distinct Scandinavian flair, and check-in takes place in a former bank vault—cha-ching!

A handful of trendy stores and unique hangouts like Rough Draft, a bookstore and taproom, have opened recently as well as a number of restaurants slinging delicious food like Ship to Shore and Lola. The Ulster Performing Arts Center, inside a restored 1926 theater, regularly has events and the city is also home to a number of festivals, including the Kingston Jazz Festival and the Artists Soapbox Derby. The Trolley Museum of New York even offers 1.5-mile ride on weekends and holidays along the Rondout Creek waterfront to Kingston Point Park.

4hrs 30mins from NYC

Want to get away from civilization and get in touch with your wild side? Plant yourself right on the beach on this 37-mile barrier island for an affordable respite. Two thirds of this wave-tossed ribbon of dunes and salt marshes is in Maryland, where camping is allowed; the rest is Virginia.

At Assateague Island National Seashore, you can build a beach bonfire, stargaze over the Atlantic Ocean and straight-up hang with wild horses. But that’s not all: Whales, dolphins—dolphins, you guys—sika deer, island foxes and great blue herons also flock to Assateague. Sea kayaking, crabbing, beach yoga and tours of 18th-century coastal plantation Rackliffe House are also on offer.

Naturally, getting away from it all means roughing it a bit. The sandy “primitive camping” setup includes toilets and cool-water showers. Stock up on firewood, sunscreen, practically mandatory bug repellent and steamed Maryland crabs at various provision stores along the way. And if you start craving off-island action, the sweet brick village of Berlin, which Huffington Post named the Absolute Cutest Town in Maryland and the Ocean City Boardwalk are each less than 10 miles from the island.

5hrs 20mins from NYC

Provincetown is all about laid-back mingling—and there’s no better way to get into it than hopping among the town’s color-saturated galleries and boutiques. Get teased en route by drag queens who tickle you with feathers while inviting you to shows. Chow on crispy cod tacos at the casual but fabulous and friendly spot The Canteen, where you’ll try in vain to resist a frozen-rosé drink dubbed the frosé. Suck it down out back, where day-drinking fun meets ocean views. With the Provincetown pier as a backdrop, you can play the most Instagram-worthy game of Ping-Pong in town.

If you’re ready to rage, the seaside destination has your number, too: The afternoon Tea Dance that goes down from 4 to 7pm every day is justly famous at Boatslip Beach Club. Gems like the crooner-boasting Cabaret Room in the Crown & Anchor are also teasingly fun. P-town bars close at 1am, but the after-hours party continues on the street. When you’ve finally exhausted yourself, crawl home to the White Porch Inn, a grand 19th-century home renovated into a thoroughly beachy, unstuffy, clean-white B&B steps from the bay, and get ready to do it all over again tomorrow.

And since you made it all the way here, why not go to the very end? A shiny beacon of Provincetown’s West End, the AWOL boasts light, airy interiors and low-slung furniture to match the dunes outside your window. And you’ll definitely want to take advantage of the private bar only available to hotel guests.

3hrs 45min from NYC

Who’s famished? Start your stuffing soujourn at Little Creek Oysters, a dockside favorite where diners can shuck just-caught oysters between pints of beer. Go the short distance to The Haylard, where, just outside the historic village and perched over the Long Island Sound, classics (fresh mussels in a garlic broth, beer-battered fish-and-chips) pair nicely with on-tap rosé and sunset views.

For accommodations, you’ll find the cream of the crop in Greenport. The latest to open, The Menhaden, checks all the boxes: Just steps from the harbor, the hotel offers neat, bright rooms, a breezy rooftop, complimentary bikes and a private water taxi for day trips to Shelter Island.

Jet Ski between Greenport and Shelter Island, past abandoned lighthouses and maybe even a herd of seals with a little help from Peconic Water Sports.

5hrs, 45min from NYC

The lakeside city of Burlington is that classic New England destination you might expect. From the shining waters of Lake Champlain to City Hall Park, the city is quite beautiful. Mixed among the walkable streets with quaint homes are cafes and bars you’ll want to linger at, a mix of indy and luxury shops, and a flourishing craft beer scene. When you go, expect to have a laid-back, choose-your-own-adventure getaway with an abundance of opportunities for fun and exploration.

Stay at the chic yet cozy Hotel Vermont ($208-$599 per night) and dine at The Farmhouse Tap & Grill for dinner and August First for breakfast or brunch. Make sure to get your shopping in along the Church Street Marketplace, which has over 100 shops and restaurants. Just right outside of the shopping district, you’ll want to get to one of the city’s many breweries including Zero Gravity and the small business collective, Soda Plant, which is a good stopping point between biking and beer drinking. And don’t miss Radio Bean, a laidback music venue perfect for those who want a relaxed night out and a chance to discover new bands and artists.