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Will be on the East Coast for 4 nights next week. Will be landing in Philadelphia and renting a car. Trying to figure out what to visit. Not sure if I should stay in Philadelphia or somewhere closer to NYC. Mostly focused on the Baltimore, Philadelphia and NYC + possibly CT regions. Any suggestions would be helpful at this point in time. This coming from a Californian open to moving to the Underrated East Coast in the near future.
4 nights is pretty short. There are big cities and small ones that can be interesting. What are you most interested in? Like, what kind of things do you generally look for or are hoping to do, see, or eat?
I've been to NYC 2x so don't mind doing a half day or something in NYC. I'm more interested in checking out houses and areas/states I'd possibly want to live in the near future. I don't really like NJ, NY or VA outside of visiting as they are expensive. I have been researching the East Coast for a good while now and think these are the 4 best states for me on the East: #1. Delaware #2. Pennsylvania #3. Maryland and #4. Connecticut. Any suggestions on other areas to look would be good.
Other things: I'd also like trying some Halal Pakistani food or Halal Turkish food.
You could do DC for a night because that's the the furthest (2.5 hrs) even though all these cities are so close. Then do Baltimore on the way to/from DC. You can cover Baltimore and all the neighborhoods in a day. Then you can drive to Atlantic City from Bmore and check out some nice Jersey shore towns nearby like Ocean City and several more right there. Then you drive north on the Garden State Parkway and stop at some other famous beach towns along the way like Belmar, Asbury Park (famous for Springsteen and the Stone Pony). Then keep driving north and you can do the unofficial North Jersey Sopranos mob tour (if you're into that kinda thing) and see all their hangouts, etc. Then head across the river into NYC and spend a whole day/night there at least. If you want to see CT too then I recommend somewhere like Norwalk which isn't too far from NYC (little over an hour) and it's along the LI sound coast with some nice shops, cobblestone streets, nice aquarium, has that whole New England feel to it. Then head back down to Philly and spend a whole day/night exploring. Just one suggestion. Edit: I just realized as I'm typing this that it's October (totally lost track) and there's a recent cold stretch here in NJ so maybe scratch the beach idea and go straight north if you don't want to deal with the chilly fall weather by the beach. I kind of like it but not for everyone. You could also do Hoboken and Jersey City before you cross the river into Manhattan.
You could do DC for a night because that's the the furthest (2.5 hrs) even though all these cities are so close. Then do Baltimore on the way to/from DC. You can cover Baltimore and all the neighborhoods in a day. Then you can drive to Atlantic City from Bmore and check out some nice Jersey shore towns nearby like Ocean City and several more right there. Then you drive north on the Garden State Parkway and stop at some other famous beach towns along the way like Belmar, Asbury Park (famous for Springsteen and the Stone Pony). Then keep driving north and you can do the unofficial North Jersey Sopranos mob tour (if you're into that kinda thing) and see all their hangouts, etc. Then head across the river into NYC and spend a whole day/night there at least. If you want to see CT too then I recommend somewhere like Norwalk which isn't too far from NYC (little over an hour) and it's along the LI sound coast with some nice shops, cobblestone streets, nice aquarium, has that whole New England feel to it. Then head back down to Philly and spend a whole day/night exploring. Just one suggestion. Edit: I just realized as I'm typing this that it's October (totally lost track) and there's a recent cold stretch here in NJ so maybe scratch the beach idea and go straight north if you don't want to deal with the chilly fall weather by the beach. I kind of like it but not for everyone. You could also do Hoboken and Jersey City before you cross the river into Manhattan.
OP, you should consider Northern Virginia as well if interested in a nearly recession-proof economy and favorable living conditions. In particular check out Loudoun County which anchors the west end of the Dulles Tech Corridor about 45 minutes an hour to the Blue Ridge Mountains and is surrounded by beautiful VA wine country, which produces surprisingly excellent wines. : ) https://www.visitloudoun.org/
I am from the East Coast and I have some advice for you. I am literally the opposite from you, I want to move to California after growing up in New York for three decades.
For the food you mentioned, the area near 33rd Street and 2nd ave in NYC has been called Little India. Go to Little India and go to Lexington Ave. and 33rd. Walk down from there and you will find what you are looking for, on both corners.
Turkish food is spread out across the city, so type in a place on Google and go from there.
Be prepared to have a lot, and I mean a lot of quarters. Parking will require this, and since you don’t want to waste time searching your pockets while standing on the corner (typical tourist mistake), have everything ready and walk around like you know the area. Don’t look like a tourist that can easily be scammed or something. Finding parking is can be simple if you go on the side streets. For example, if you go to Little India, don’t expect parking on Lexington Ave. A main road like that will have the entire side for bus traffic. You cannot park on the bus lane. I suggest you park on side streets like 33rd to 28th street area. That way you can park and walk to your places with no hassle.
(Also, a lot of side streets are one way. You cannot turn into certain streets if they are one way, so watch out for that.)
If you really want to get a local experience, go to Long Island. Go to a town like Manhasset and walk around. Go to Port Washington, park at the town dock, and walk around to a local store. If you have time, you can drive on Northern Blvd (NY State Road 25) and travel along the North Shore of Long Island. You will have traffic lights, but that is the fun experience of seeing the areas tucked away from most tourist attractions.
Long Island also has beaches on the South Shore, like Jones Beach. Summer has concluded and these are the last weeks to enjoy a full day of sunshine. Take advantage and go to Jones Beach. I’m pretty sure it’s still open.
I've been to NYC 2x so don't mind doing a half day or something in NYC. I'm more interested in checking out houses and areas/states I'd possibly want to live in the near future. I don't really like NJ, NY or VA outside of visiting as they are expensive. I have been researching the East Coast for a good while now and think these are the 4 best states for me on the East: #1. Delaware #2. Pennsylvania #3. Maryland and #4. Connecticut. Any suggestions on other areas to look would be good.
Other things: I'd also like trying some Halal Pakistani food or Halal Turkish food.
Just to be fair, those states are expensive in the most concentrated urban areas, but outside of those areas, they are actually pretty average in cost of living, give or take.
Location: northern Vermont - previously NM, WA, & MA
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Originally Posted by LakersWon310
Will be on the East Coast for 4 nights next week. Will be landing in Philadelphia and renting a car. Trying to figure out what to visit. Not sure if I should stay in Philadelphia or somewhere closer to NYC. Mostly focused on the Baltimore, Philadelphia and NYC + possibly CT regions. Any suggestions would be helpful at this point in time. This coming from a Californian open to moving to the Underrated East Coast in the near future.
What type of area are you looking for on the East Coast? City? Suburbs? Coastal/Beaches? Inland/Hills/Mountain access? Is this a leisure trip or are you are you actually scouting places out for a possible move? With 4 nights based on flying to Philly, I'd probably keep the itinerary on Philly itself and also New Jersey if you're looking for beaches and coastal activity. The Jersey Shore has a diverse selection of towns and cities with a whole range of differences in character, budget, and recreation. Inland PA offers some interesting options for exploration like New Hope and Lancaster County, and fall is a nice time to be in these areas.
If you're just sticking to city and metro areas, then just keep it to Philly, northern NJ, and NYC based on your limited time frame as you'd still only be scratching the surface on these places. CT and Baltimore would be a bit of a stretch to fit into four nights/days.
Last edited by Champ le monstre du lac; 10-05-2022 at 07:28 AM..
What type of area are you looking for on the East Coast? City? Suburbs? Coastal/Beaches? Inland/Hills/Mountain access? Is this a leisure trip or are you are you actually scouting places out for a possible move? With 4 nights based on flying to Philly, I'd probably keep the itinerary on Philly itself and also New Jersey if you're looking for beaches and coastal activity. The Jersey Shore has a diverse selection of towns and cities with a whole range of differences in character, budget, and recreation. Inland PA offers some interesting options for exploration like New Hope and Lancaster County, and fall is a nice time to be in these areas.
If you're just sticking to city and metro areas, then just keep it to Philly, northern NJ, and NYC based on your limited time frame as you'd still only be scratching the surface on these places. CT and Baltimore would be a bit of a stretch to fit into four nights/days.
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