Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I hadn't thought about points south of the NYC area, but I got to thinking that a big reason why a lot of New Englanders won't road trip for a long weekend to the Mid Atlantic hotspots is because they don't want to deal worth driving through NYC (and driving through Connecticut sucks too). In Albany, one can do I-87 south (nicer ride than I-95 for sure) and then jump on I-287 and just skirt around all of it heading into NJ, PA, and beyond, Much easier. .
That is an excellent point!
I know how it feels because the last several times I have been going down to Virginia, I hit major traffic around Washington DC. I literally don't remember the traffic being so bad down there when I was a kid.
Regards to NYC, I know the area pretty good and plan my trips accordingly.
For instance, going South, I leave Long Island early in the morning. You want to get through Nassau County and past JFK in Queens before the worst of the AM rush. Then you cross the Verrazano Bridge and the Outerbridge Crossing and you are almost already in Central New Jersey (northern Middlesex County). In this way I avoid the worst of the NY traffic and I pretty much avoid northern New Jersey traffic altogether. There is almost never any traffic down by Philadelphia (at least in New Jersey).
Why some people insist on crossing the GW Bridge is a mystery to me.
20 million people in the NYC metro area mean they cover a larger travel area (they go all over from VA to ME) and traffic getting through there is a nightmare.
To suggest most people think or prefer New England or that its better is ridiculous.
Like I said earlier, I am from Upstate NY and prefer NJ or DE beaches, so that's where I go. I also hike in the ADK a ton. New England is too cold.
Philadelphia probably has the best location in the megalopolis. You can debate over NYC and Boston all you want.
I do think Boston does have a region mostly to itself though which is an advantage, but its often mistaken for being better. NYC, Philly and DC don't.
20 million people in the NYC metro area mean they cover a larger travel area (they go all over from VA to ME) and traffic getting through there is a nightmare.
To suggest most people think or prefer New England or that its better is ridiculous.
Like I said earlier, I am from Upstate NY and prefer NJ or DE beaches, so that's where I go. I also hike in the ADK a ton. New England is too cold.
Philadelphia probably has the best location in the megalopolis. You can debate over NYC and Boston all you want.
I do think Boston does have a region mostly to itself though which is an advantage, but its often mistaken for being better. NYC, Philly and DC don't.
Cape Cod and Maine/NH are (inter)national destinations, the Jersey Shore is a regional one at best. 4 Presidents before Trump had their summer White Houses within 2 hours of Boston, and they could chose wherever they wanted (The Bush's in Maine, Clinton and Obama on Martha's Vineyard). The east coast south of Mystic CT just isn't as scenic, is almost entirely flat sand beaches, few bluffs or rocky outcroppings. The Mountains of New England also tend to be bigger than those in the Mid Atlantic.
The Finger Lakes, Adirondacks and Jersey Shore are nice, but if people aren't willing to drive even 6 hours to go to the Catskills or the Jersey Shore is quite telling.
Cape Cod and Maine/NH are (inter)national destinations, the Jersey Shore is a regional one at best. 4 Presidents before Trump had their summer White Houses within 2 hours of Boston, and they could chose wherever they wanted (The Bush's in Maine, Clinton and Obama on Martha's Vineyard). The east coast south of Mystic CT just isn't as scenic, is almost entirely flat sand beaches, few bluffs or rocky outcroppings. The Mountains of New England also tend to be bigger than those in the Mid Atlantic.
The Finger Lakes, Adirondacks and Jersey Shore are nice, but if people aren't willing to drive even 6 hours to go to the Catskills or the Jersey Shore is quite telling.
Maine is the most isolated part of the Northeast (New England in general really) and a simple Google search will tell you about the celebrities who own homes in the Adirondacks. Here's a hint: there's a lot.
Maybe because I see the point of a weekend getaway to escape the city. So basically sitting in the woods for 2 days rather than running off to another city.
Well it is nice to have the option to visit Philadelphia for the weekend isn't it? Anyway, I do hope you are kidding with that remark, Massachusetts and the surrounding area is heavily forested but there is plenty of forest down here.
There is hundreds of thousands of acres of parkland in the NYC suburbs (the Palisades Interstate Park System alone has 100,000) with the Appalachian Trail actually crossing through the western and northern suburbs of NYC.
Here is something you don't know about in most of Massachusetts - County Park systems. In addition to local, start and federal lands, counties here in the Mid-Atlantic also have park systems including Westchester, Rockland, Essex, Bergen, Union, Nassau and Suffolk counties. My county alone has a county park system of 63,000 acres of parkland - how many acres is your county's park system?
Well it is nice to have the option to visit Philadelphia for the weekend isn't it? Anyway, I do hope you are kidding with that remark, Massachusetts and the surrounding area is heavily forested but there is plenty of forest down here.
There is hundreds of thousands of acres of parkland in the NYC suburbs (the Palisades Interstate Park System alone has 100,000) with the Appalachian Trail actually crossing through the western and northern suburbs of NYC.
Here is something you don't know about in most of Massachusetts - County Park systems. In addition to local, start and federal lands, counties here in the Mid-Atlantic also have park systems including Westchester, Rockland, Essex, Bergen, Union, Nassau and Suffolk counties. My county alone has a county park system of 63,000 acres of parkland - how many acres is your county's park system?
No amount of County park compares to the Northern 3/4ths of Maine which is one of the last true wild places east of the Mississippi. Remember Maine is the size of Indiana and only has 1.2 million people. Maine is about 1 hour from Boston at its closest point.
No amount of County park compares to the Northern 3/4ths of Maine which is one of the last true wild places east of the Mississippi. Remember Maine is the size of Indiana and only has 1.2 million people. Maine is about 1 hour from Boston at its closest point.
Maybe the New Jersey Pine Barrens. You can definitely go out in those woods and not see another person for days.
Cape Cod and Maine/NH are (inter)national destinations, the Jersey Shore is a regional one at best. 4 Presidents before Trump had their summer White Houses within 2 hours of Boston, and they could chose wherever they wanted (The Bush's in Maine, Clinton and Obama on Martha's Vineyard). The east coast south of Mystic CT just isn't as scenic, is almost entirely flat sand beaches, few bluffs or rocky outcroppings. The Mountains of New England also tend to be bigger than those in the Mid Atlantic.
The Finger Lakes, Adirondacks and Jersey Shore are nice, but if people aren't willing to drive even 6 hours to go to the Catskills or the Jersey Shore is quite telling.
Actually the Jersey Shore-especially Wildwood-is filled with French-Canadian tourists. People in New England just seem more dedicated to their specific region than other places. Philadelphians go to the Jersey Shore, Rehobeth/Dewey and the Poconos but just as many make the drive to the Outerbanks or VA Beach, Myrtle Beach, etc.
Also, Cape Cod is scenic, but 9 times out of 10 a better beach day is to be had at the Jersey Shore, and the water always warmer.
Last edited by 2e1m5a; 05-14-2017 at 01:16 AM..
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
.
