Take your time to roam the streets - there are great restaurants and cafes with tables outside where you can relax over lunch and quirky local shops. There's a lot of history throughout Bethlehem and if you want to stay overnight, Hotel Bethlehem was built on the spot where the original huts stood in 1741 which makes it the perfect place to stay. Bethlehem, PAġ hour 40 minutes from NYC by car The classic building of Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.īethlehem is a calm and quiet city that got its name on Christmas Eve in 1741 during the visit of Count Zinzendorf of Saxony. If you want to get to the fire tower right at the top, that's another mile each way and while you can see further to the horizon, the views are not as good as from the first lookout because the mountain obscures the view. It's a steep vertical climb so make sure you're prepared. The hike up should take under an hour (just over a mile) to get to the viewing spot where the old casino ruins are. You can hike up Mount Beacon which overlooks the town and offers great views up and down the Hudson. These can get busy, but it's worth it and you might come across some great food tasting or a festive celebration.įor those who like the outdoors, there are a lot of parks and green spaces surrounding the city. A top tip is to come on the second Saturday of the month when all the galleries and artists' venues open their doors for special exhibitions and events. You can drive up and that's a great option if you're going to other places on the way (check out the drive at #6 below), but if Beacon is your only destination, save yourself the hassle of getting out and back into New York and take the train instead.Īs you roam Beacon's Main Street, you'll notice that there are a lot of galleries here. Beacon, NYġ hour 30 minutes from NYC by train or car Quaint shops and art galleries in Beacon, NY.īeacon is a small artsy town up the Hudson River from New York. One great idea is to come here after lunch and get your desert from one of the stalls. This is one of the largest and most famous indoor markets in the country and has all kinds of local food and drink you should try. Note that you may need to book tours in advance if you want to get into some of these places - make sure you do as we found this out the hard way although you can usually get into the Independence Hall to see a copy of the original constitution even if you don't make any plans beforehand. The Independence Hall and Liberty Bell Center are a must and there are a few different historical museums you can visit. Philly has some of the nation's most important historic sites. You won't need your car to see the city, so relax and let somebody else do the driving! There are a few different companies that you can use but you can never go wrong with Greyhound so I'd recommend them. I've done both when I used to live in New York and I love the bus option. Getting here is easy - you can drive if you want to, but it's super easy to get here by train or bus. Phadelphia is one of the best city breaks you can experience in the United States and being so close to New York, you can easily make it a day trip if you don't want to spend the night.