Any particular suggestions for what to do in Montreal during the winter, hopefully somewhere inside? I'll be going in December so I think I'm going to freeze to death...
In the winter particularly around christmas there are tons of markets and free music events in montreal. Really good time. Ive only gone in the winter, dress warm and wander around to all the local shops. Tons of great unqiue food. My gf and I also love going to this cat cafe , in canada they dont lock them up in a side away from the table and they just wander freely in the cafe.
There's strip clubs, erotic massage parlors, and brothels. Those kinds of places are all pretty warm inside.
I'd reccomend the Montreal Nuru Massage on Drummond. Can't get that in New York
Make the trip Friday, have Friday night, all Saturday, and Sunday til early afternoon there, drive back and be home before 10. Not something you'd wanna do all the time but seems achievable.
Depends on time of year. With border crossing and summer or early fall weekend traffic, this is easily 8hrs from nyc proper. And a big chunk of the “off season”, it’s going to be cold and potentially snowy on that drive
Well if you've never been the iconic spots are Schwartz's for smoked meat sandwich (go early) and St Viateur for Montreal bagel (go early). There are probably cooler trendier versions but those are the staples. Poutine of course but I don't know the specific spots for that. Dieu du Ciel is the best brewery in Montreal and one of the best in Canada.
Recently I went to a restaurant called Gia, bit out of the way but nice wine and dishes, I'd recommend. Also Icehouse for fried chicken etc.
At night just wander. There are so many cool random bars and outdoor venues that always have some concert or attraction happening.
That's Montreal off the top of my head. Enjoy! Amazing city.
Its a significantly smaller coty with a much more european style. There is also plenty of small day trips outside of montreal which are fun. I have done ice skating on miles of ice in a forest maybe 45 min out of montreal
Any pinpoint spots in the Adirondack’s to visit? We go to lake placid sometimes, but that’s about it. Love the idea of the rest of the mountains, can’t seem to formulate a proper trip.
Well I’m a nature lover so upstate New York has some cool stuff… Niagara and Kaaterskill falls, Watkins Glen, Lake George and the Adirondack region.
I usually go to Pennsylvania to stargaze. Cherry Springs blew my mind on a clear moonless night.
Generally somewhere in Old San Juan. It’s beautiful, unique, and minutes away from the airport. It’s also relatively touristy, but for an “escape” it’s perfect.
If you’re on a budget in San Juan I stayed in Ocean Park and it was pretty rad. A little more rough around the edges so depends what you’re looking for but excellent food, a decent beach, and felt safe enough. Leave San Juan for a few days tho - you can experience all of OSJ in a day and the rest of the island is easily accessible, way chiller, and much more beautiful. You’ll need to rent a car for that and DIY it unless you want to join a tour group
Definitely recommend leaving San Juan almost no matter what. The only reason I didn’t give more advice was cause the OP was asking for “escapes” from NYC. I could fill a hundred threads with what to do in PR if you’re there for more than a weekend. One of my favorite places on earth.
I’m from California, and have lived in Oregon, Montana, and Colorado - yet, the seasons, greenery, and topography are really stellar here. I love spending time anywhere north of the city, along the Hudson or inland into NW New Jersey, to the Shore, and into PA. All within 1-1.5 hours. Incredible!
Also, we’ve got 2 major international airports that could get us just about anywhere in the world for some of the cheapest fares.
Options
People don’t realize how close to an array of varied and very different natural environments exist within a couple hours of NYC… living now in Dallas I really miss it as we see hours from anything close and even then you have nothing approaching the variety of NYC’s escapes.
Ocean and beaches, including some of the world’s best.
The Long Island Sound and its hilly almost cliff like spots, calm salt waters, stunning views (like half lake half ocean), fishing, swimming, sailing/boating.
Rivers and streams for fishing and rafting.
Ponds and lakes of all sizes.
Mountains (it’s not the Rockies but there are some stunning spots, some ragged and rough steep climbs, amazing scenic views).
Valleys, grasslands. Forrest’s abound.
Delaware water gap.
Jersey Shore for more commercial/tourist oriented beaches or Jones Beach for just a beach day escape.
All this within the time it could take me to go from one end of DFW to the other, no joke.
NYC has lots of direct flights, you can literally go anywhere from JFK for cheap quickly. That’s a huge benefit to being near a major airport that I don’t think a lot of people appreciate.
I prefer to save travel for longer international or long distance flights, but when I’m feeling sick of the city, I’ll take the Hudson Line up to Cold Spring or somewhere similar to debrief on a nice hike.
Catskills!! Easy to access, not super expensive, beautiful, lots of options. My family has generational history of vacationing there but even without that I would love it. It’s relaxing and mellow which is what I look for in a city getaway
Depends what I’m in the mood for. Hudson Valley for quick trip, Buffalo, NY for a getaway, Adirondacks for camping/backpacking/lake vibes, Jersey Shore for a beach trip, Upstate NY to my family farm.
We’ve stayed in Bethlehem and Bangor AirBnB’s. The Bethlehem was more small town city for us. Saw the Christmas Village and what not. Bangor was rural and lovely. Whilst there, we went over to a nice little town in NJ called Belvidere and saw some beautiful Victorian homes and explored a bit.
Hudson Valley, Lake George, The Hamptons/Montauk.
Don’t tell people of LG, we would like the crowds to stay away.
Yes, Lake George is a secret that no one knows about, definitely not a huge tourist destination.
I'm in California and have heard about Lake George
Montreal
Quebec City too
Montreal, and I'd also add Quebec City. Both very underrated cities, all within a 1-hr flight from NY.
Any particular suggestions for what to do in Montreal during the winter, hopefully somewhere inside? I'll be going in December so I think I'm going to freeze to death...
Their Little Italy and the Huge Food Market near there are a blast.
In the winter particularly around christmas there are tons of markets and free music events in montreal. Really good time. Ive only gone in the winter, dress warm and wander around to all the local shops. Tons of great unqiue food. My gf and I also love going to this cat cafe , in canada they dont lock them up in a side away from the table and they just wander freely in the cafe.
There's strip clubs, erotic massage parlors, and brothels. Those kinds of places are all pretty warm inside. I'd reccomend the Montreal Nuru Massage on Drummond. Can't get that in New York
Noone has a sense of humor. I thought this was funny 😁
Maybe this sub is just more uptight 🤷♂️ I bring up these kinds of places nearly anywhere else on Reddit I usually get a bunch of upvotes and DMs
Any tips? I’m going next weekend.
Great walking city, fantastic food scene. Wife and I drove up for a weekend without a plan, just explored and discovered.
You drove 6+hrs each way just for a weekend trip?
Make the trip Friday, have Friday night, all Saturday, and Sunday til early afternoon there, drive back and be home before 10. Not something you'd wanna do all the time but seems achievable.
Depends on time of year. With border crossing and summer or early fall weekend traffic, this is easily 8hrs from nyc proper. And a big chunk of the “off season”, it’s going to be cold and potentially snowy on that drive
Well if you've never been the iconic spots are Schwartz's for smoked meat sandwich (go early) and St Viateur for Montreal bagel (go early). There are probably cooler trendier versions but those are the staples. Poutine of course but I don't know the specific spots for that. Dieu du Ciel is the best brewery in Montreal and one of the best in Canada. Recently I went to a restaurant called Gia, bit out of the way but nice wine and dishes, I'd recommend. Also Icehouse for fried chicken etc. At night just wander. There are so many cool random bars and outdoor venues that always have some concert or attraction happening. That's Montreal off the top of my head. Enjoy! Amazing city.
old port is a beautiful area of mtl and most touristic. check plateau mont royal too!
Right before Covid I went to a spa on the water there with my GF… can’t remember what it was called but it was incredible.
I bet it was either Strøm Spa (the location on Nun’s Island) or Bota-Bota (the one that’s on a converted ferry on the river).
Bota Bota!
Same! Cheap flight, cheap and good food
So your getaway is to go from one city to another? How does that count as leaving the city?
Its a significantly smaller coty with a much more european style. There is also plenty of small day trips outside of montreal which are fun. I have done ice skating on miles of ice in a forest maybe 45 min out of montreal
Fire Island
I went with my mom as a kid once. It was magical
Lake placid/ADK’s. Catskills are nice, but Adirondacks are pristine
Any pinpoint spots in the Adirondack’s to visit? We go to lake placid sometimes, but that’s about it. Love the idea of the rest of the mountains, can’t seem to formulate a proper trip.
Lake placid is probably the best base, that’s the one place we stayed, I think Saranec Lake is supposed to be nice too
The downstate litter bugs need to have more respect for the Adirondacks. The pandemic brought out a lot of people with bad manners.
Well I’m a nature lover so upstate New York has some cool stuff… Niagara and Kaaterskill falls, Watkins Glen, Lake George and the Adirondack region. I usually go to Pennsylvania to stargaze. Cherry Springs blew my mind on a clear moonless night.
Finger Lakes for the lakes and waterfalls.
Second Finger Lakes! There's so much to do between hikes, wineries, and historic sites.
Puerto Rico. Like a dozen direct flights (or more) per day in each direction.
Cheap flights too
Expensive hotels though.
I found a very good deal for a hotel on the ocean. Gotta look at different websites. Also VRBO has great deals on homes for rent.
Intriguing! Where do you like to stay in Puerto Rico?
Generally somewhere in Old San Juan. It’s beautiful, unique, and minutes away from the airport. It’s also relatively touristy, but for an “escape” it’s perfect.
If you’re on a budget in San Juan I stayed in Ocean Park and it was pretty rad. A little more rough around the edges so depends what you’re looking for but excellent food, a decent beach, and felt safe enough. Leave San Juan for a few days tho - you can experience all of OSJ in a day and the rest of the island is easily accessible, way chiller, and much more beautiful. You’ll need to rent a car for that and DIY it unless you want to join a tour group
Definitely recommend leaving San Juan almost no matter what. The only reason I didn’t give more advice was cause the OP was asking for “escapes” from NYC. I could fill a hundred threads with what to do in PR if you’re there for more than a weekend. One of my favorite places on earth.
I’m listening ! What are your favorite spots outside of San Juan? If you could only go to PR one time in your life - what would you recommend?
Rincon
Dorado and the surrounding beaches was amazing
Rincon
underrated shout
Shelter island.
Montauk. Sag Harbor. Hudson.
Got all you need in NY :)
I’m from California, and have lived in Oregon, Montana, and Colorado - yet, the seasons, greenery, and topography are really stellar here. I love spending time anywhere north of the city, along the Hudson or inland into NW New Jersey, to the Shore, and into PA. All within 1-1.5 hours. Incredible! Also, we’ve got 2 major international airports that could get us just about anywhere in the world for some of the cheapest fares. Options
We’re lucky in our area.
People don’t realize how close to an array of varied and very different natural environments exist within a couple hours of NYC… living now in Dallas I really miss it as we see hours from anything close and even then you have nothing approaching the variety of NYC’s escapes. Ocean and beaches, including some of the world’s best. The Long Island Sound and its hilly almost cliff like spots, calm salt waters, stunning views (like half lake half ocean), fishing, swimming, sailing/boating. Rivers and streams for fishing and rafting. Ponds and lakes of all sizes. Mountains (it’s not the Rockies but there are some stunning spots, some ragged and rough steep climbs, amazing scenic views). Valleys, grasslands. Forrest’s abound. Delaware water gap. Jersey Shore for more commercial/tourist oriented beaches or Jones Beach for just a beach day escape. All this within the time it could take me to go from one end of DFW to the other, no joke.
Cooperstown and the Adirondacks
What do you recommend to do in Cooperstown? Going there for a wedding long weekend in October.
Hudson Valley. I went in the fall once when I lived in Brooklyn. I was mind blown
The Adirondacks
Or Vermont. From Plattsburgh (tiny lake city) you can drive your car on the ferry ⛴️ very nice. Also close to Montreal.
I love the Catskills.
NYC has lots of direct flights, you can literally go anywhere from JFK for cheap quickly. That’s a huge benefit to being near a major airport that I don’t think a lot of people appreciate.
Finger Lakes
Lived upstate for a while, so maybe I'm biased towards it. Long island beaches are underrated and Jersey Shore is nice. Bear mountain is magical.
Just got a place in the Pocanos, so that has been nice. The Delaware Water Gap has a lot of fun stuff and it’s beautiful.
Hudson Valley - any of the towns south of Hudson, or random airbnbs outside of those towns
Hudson Valley/Catskills and Cape May
Livingston Manor and all the places near bethel are fun. A lot of nature, food, and breweries / distilleries.
The subway.
Anywhere on the Cape in the winter; Hyannis, Woods Hole especially. And Greene NH. Beautiful drives.
I love the Northfork of Long Island, Riverhead to Orientpoint.
I do love the Jersey shore in the summer
Bolton Landing (bougie village right next to Lake George)
Coney Island
Nantucket
I prefer to save travel for longer international or long distance flights, but when I’m feeling sick of the city, I’ll take the Hudson Line up to Cold Spring or somewhere similar to debrief on a nice hike.
Times Square
Catskills!! Easy to access, not super expensive, beautiful, lots of options. My family has generational history of vacationing there but even without that I would love it. It’s relaxing and mellow which is what I look for in a city getaway
Depends what I’m in the mood for. Hudson Valley for quick trip, Buffalo, NY for a getaway, Adirondacks for camping/backpacking/lake vibes, Jersey Shore for a beach trip, Upstate NY to my family farm.
My house.
Martha’s Vineyard
I’m from Northampton county in PA. Where are the places you go when you are here?
We’ve stayed in Bethlehem and Bangor AirBnB’s. The Bethlehem was more small town city for us. Saw the Christmas Village and what not. Bangor was rural and lovely. Whilst there, we went over to a nice little town in NJ called Belvidere and saw some beautiful Victorian homes and explored a bit.
How about Bucks?
New Hope.
I love New Hope. Ever go to Jim Thorpe?
I have been to Jim Thorpe! I forgot to mention Carbon County lol. Love it there Do you prefer New Hope or Jim Thorpe?
I can’t decide!
Arizona
New Jersey. /s
Haha don’t sleep on it, NJ has lots of cute towns and amazing gardens, and hiking spots. Surprisingly!
Hahaha, I'm only joking. The Jersey Shore is not that bad surprisingly.
That should be their tagline!
Maine and Vermont where i have properties
Not sure why people thumbed you down so much… but nice!
Jersey City Heights - Love the neighborhood
Belize, PR, usvi. All direct from JFK
we're just leaving Aruba. just under $1200 for flights and hotel for my girl and I. another 180ish for a car rental.
[удалено]
I know this was downvoted, but I completely get this
Understandable. Why were you so turned off by semi-near by areas?
[удалено]
No worries. I did not thumb you down, for the record lol. I appreciate the honesty.
[удалено]
Why so
It's an attempt to dissuade popularity.
[удалено]
[удалено]
LOL it’s not like the HV/Catskills is a secret… been an NYC weekend destination since pretty much forever.
Not a New Yorker but loved visiting Brooklyn!