Summer is on the horizon, and many New Yorkers might be looking to get out of dodge. However, if you aren’t looking to spend a ton of money or have limited PTO, you might be in the market for a good staycation right here in the Big Apple.
Darley Newman is the host of “Travels with Darley,” an Emmy-award winning show that takes viewers through some of Newman’s favorite places to travel. We’ve tapped into Newman’s travel knowledge to give you some tips on how to make the most of a staycation right here in New York City.
Be a tourist in your own city
When it comes to the art of the staycation, Newman says that you don’t have to spend a lot to make the most out of New York City. There are so many low-cost and free opportunities all summer long that don’t just have to be for tourists.
“I’m huge into Central Park. A lot of people go into the southern end of Central Park, especially if they’re coming from Times Square, but take the time to do the loop. There’s just little things to experience along the way,” said Newman. “There’s statues, there’s art, there’s live and free events like Shakespeare in the Park that you can take advantage of.”
If you want to step it up further and spend the night, Newman recommends looking into the more boutique hotels the city has to offer rather than the big chains.
“New York is really cool for staycations because there’s so many hotels and places that people don’t think about, you can’t even find some of them online,” said Newman.
Beyond Central Park, there are plenty of neighborhoods that you can take the time and explore a little deeper. Newman loves to take the time to find hidden gems around places like Soho or K-Town, but lately she’s been finding herself exploring the outer boroughs more thoroughly.
“I think Queens has some really cool spots. I love eating Greek food in Astoria; you can feel like you’re traveling without leaving the area,” said Newman. Newman personally recommends The Bonnie Bar and Ambrosia Garden in Astoria.
Travel must-haves: Layer up!
Regardless of where you travel, Newman says your travel bag should always have the essentials. She’s always on the go with sunglasses, hats and sunscreen, but one thing she’ll never leave for a trip without is extra layers.
“I’m big on packing layers. Even if it’s warm out, I might throw a light jacket or a sweatshirt or a sweater because the weather can change on a dime,” said Newman. “It doesn’t even take much to even tie a sweatshirt around your waist.”
For Newman, the added security of comfort is the key.
“If you want to be comfortable on your travels, being prepared for the elements just makes your trip so much better,” said Newman.
Day tripping!
You can’t be expected to spend every day this summer in the city. There are plenty of places in the tri-state area that are very accessible to New Yorkers, allowing them to stretch their legs and take in the non-city air.
Newman says that national parks are a great, affordable option for day trips, and there are a bunch that aren’t too far away, including Bear Mountain State Park, Harriman State Park, Liberty State Park in New Jersey, and Mianus River Gorge Preserve, to name just a few. One of Newman’s favorites is New Jersey’s Paterson Great Falls National Park, which has the second-largest waterfall (by volume) east of the Mississippi River, after Niagara Falls, and ties to Alexander Hamilton.
“If you like American history, apparently he picnicked there,” said Newman.
In the same park, you can find Hinchliffe Stadium, which reopened in 2023 and was home to the the New York Black Yankees of the Negro Leagues.
“It’s definitely a cool day trip. There’s some really great food options around there, as far as like, diverse restaurants for Mexican food, Peruvian cuisine. I would say that would be one that’s super accessible, and people just maybe don’t even know about it,” said Newman. “I was surprised to find it not far at all from New York City.”
If you’re looking to trek a little further up, Newman recommends the Finger Lakes and Corning for glass blowing, great wine and a beer trail, rail biking in Saratoga, or Princeton, NJ and Princeton Battlefield State Park, where you can visit Yankee Doodle Tap Room where you can have a beer and toast a Norman Rockwell painting that’s behind the bar.
After deciding on your day trip, the next thing to figure out is how you’re getting there. Luckily in New York City, if you don’t drive, it’s not an issue to get to most places. Between the LIRR, Metro-North and Amtrak, you can get to most places within the tri-state area, and buses are also nearby to get you from point A to point B.
That said, if you’re going to rent a car, Newman recommends doing so after you get out of the city.
“I do it all because I go to so many different places. I take New Jersey Transit out to New Jersey, I took Amtrak up to Albany to then go to the Adirondacks. I drove from there, but it was just easier to get out of the city on Amtrak and then get a car rental,” said Newman. “I look at what’s gonna be the most efficient. I don’t always rent cars from New York City because it’s more expensive, but if you go out to Newark Airport, you can get a better deal. Just by taking a little more time to go, and you can sometimes get a better selection of cars as well.”
Be prepared but have fun!
Regardless, if you’re staying in the city or going out of town, Newman’s ultimate tip is to be prepared for your trip and plan ahead whenever possible.
“A lot of places have changed since COVID. You still have to make reservations at some national parks and even national forests, and you wanna make sure you know that ahead of time, because you don’t want to get all the way to some far-off natural wonder and you can’t get in,” said Newman.
That said, you shouldn’t forget to take in the moment, wherever your destination may be.
“You want to leave the opportunity to really explore on your travels and kind of soak it in. I tell people to use all your senses and sometimes it’s good to just don’t look at your phone, just stand there, close your eyes, try to take in where you are so that you kind of imprint it as a memory because it’s such a beautiful thing to be able to travel,” said Newman. “Even if you’re going downtown in New York, it’s an amazing experience to be able to travel around our city. Our city is so amazing.”
“Travels with Darley” airs on PBS. You can follow Newman online at darley-newman.com or @darleynewman on Instagram, X and TikTok.
