Family trip to NYC/Philly/DC

April 15, 2008 6:18 PM

Taking the family to a game at Yankee Stadium before it closes, and would like suggestions for where to stay/what to do/what to see.

We have the week of May 19-24 tentatively penciled in, and we're considering three possible itineraries:

Fly into EWR, take the train into NYC for the game on the 21st. Drive to Philadelphia one day for sightseeing.

Fly into PHL, go to NYC for the game on the 21st (drive? Is there a train?) Drive to D.C. one day for sightseeing.

Fly into JFK, see the game on the 21st, see Philadelphia and/or D.C.

Suggestions/hints/alternatives/help? There will be me, Mrs. Davis, and our three kids (20, 17, and 15)

posted by mr_crash_davis to travel & transportation (13 comments total)

My little suggestion: Start at NYC and go south, and don't take the chance that you could miss the game because of travel snafoos.
posted by amethysts at 6:31 PM on April 15, 2008

fly to EWR. You can train to Yankee Stadium, NYC, and even Philadelphia and DC if you have the time

were to stay depends a lot on your budget. rooms in NYC are pricey, but it's a great experience. there is an Intercontinental hotel, that over looks Central park. super hotel but last time i was there ( it's been a few years) rooms started at about $300.

what to do also has a lot to do with budget but also age of your kids. Statue of Liberty, empire State Building, Museums are all great, but there is so much to see and experience by just walking around in general, especially if home is a small town in the midwest

Little Italy is fun, Time square, Chinatown, SoHo, canal St, west village, are all very cool places to simply walk around and explore. check into a tour of Madison square Garden since you are sports fans. See if the Mets are in town while you are there, would be cool to see a game at both parks, maybe even train down and catch a Phillies game as well if time and wallet allow ( been to an Orioles game at camden park yet?? You could take the train there as well)
posted by Mr_Chips at 7:04 PM on April 15, 2008

There is an amtrak lightrail that goes from Philly to NYC, as well as the $20 Chinatown bus.

Just a heads up, the question is kind of vague ... are you looking for stuff to do?
posted by Blandanomics at 7:16 PM on April 15, 2008

If you've never been to NYC before, just spend the week in NYC. Don't short yourself and stress yourself out by trying to take a sightseeing day in DC or Philly. There's plenty to do in NYC to keep you busy for a month, and you'll be exhausted after a week of it anyway. Pace yourself, and just enjoy NYC.
posted by jferg at 7:33 PM on April 15, 2008

Have you been to these places before?
What kinds of things do you like to do/see?
posted by LobsterMitten at 7:46 PM on April 15, 2008

I've been to NYC before (once), none of the family has. The Mrs. and I will have other opportunities for Broadway shows, etc. in the future, so NY-specificity isn't a big deal. The kids, being teenagers, are mostly giving us the "eh, whatever" non-help. The only must-have on the trip is a game at Yankee Stadium.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 7:57 PM on April 15, 2008

If it was me, I'd fly into Philly, do a day there, drive up to NYC, do a few days there, drive down to DC, do a day, and back to Philly via Baltimore. A lot of driving, but it sounds like you are looking for a vacation that hits a lot of places.
posted by gjc at 8:08 PM on April 15, 2008

As far as 'things to do in NYC', your options are limitless, and there are probably hundreds of threads here in AskMe, but heres a top. Take the 4 train when you go to the stadium. It's totally safe and fast and you get a great view of the stadium on your way in. Don't be the rube that takes a taxi :). Just remember to get enough for a round trip so you don't have to hit the metrocard vending machines on the way back.
posted by Mach5 at 8:15 PM on April 15, 2008

tip, top, same thing.
posted by Mach5 at 8:16 PM on April 15, 2008

Seconding Mach5 on taking the 4 to the Stadium. Nothing's more inspiring, baseball-wise, than coming up on the stadium in a subway full of Yankee fans. Also, get there early to check out Monument Park (it closes, IIRC, at least an hour before the first pitch).
posted by Bromius at 8:17 PM on April 15, 2008

For God's sake, take the train/subway as much as possible (except *maybe* take a cab between the airport and the hotel). If you're going to do Philly or D.C., take the train down there. When you go to the Stadium, take the subway. Taking a cab isn't so bad, but definitely don't drive between places when a train will get you there faster/almost as fast.

I can't believe your teenagers can't think of anything exciting they want to see/do in the city. Is it because they're with their parents (no offense)? Let them just explore on their own for a day.
posted by aswego at 6:20 AM on April 16, 2008

Thanks to everyone who took the time to answer.

We decided to fly into PHL so we could spend a day in DC and a day in Philadelphia (our own little National Treasure sightseeing tour). Scheduling (and getting game tickets) proved a problem for the week we were looking at, so we're going in June instead.

aswego, I was surprised they weren't more excited about seeing New York City too, but I guess they're more like their parents (read:small-town) than they would really care to admit. :)
posted by mr_crash_davis at 11:03 AM on April 19, 2008

Advice about NYC for smaller town types: pick a limited set of things you want to do during a day, and think about what's a realistic walking distance for you. Whenever I visit NYC I'm amazed by the walking stamina of residents there.

Myself I would go to the Met(ropolitan Museum of Art) for maybe half a day or more. There's a neat indoor cafe (expensive but what the hell), and it's so big with so much different stuff -- Egyptian monument indoors, medieval armor, famous paintings, etc -- that everyone could go do their own thing and meet back at the cafe for lunch, and you don't have to worry about getting too lost.

Some part of Central Park is a good way to catch your breath if the tall buildings and grayness get to be too much. Visiting the UN might be cool? Maybe go up a skyscraper like the Empire State Bldg? But beyond that, take an afternoon to pick some area that's fun to walk around and people watch. If your kids like to go into weird stores and look at weird stuff, there's plenty of that in whatever the cool neighborhoods are these days (current residents know better than I do). If you don't have much internationalism in your town, something like Chinatown would be especially cool, seeing signs not in English etc.

If you like quirky stuff, you could arrange a kind of scavenger hunt for the group with a site like Forgotten NYC.

Visiting DC is easier, since if you want to see the standard major monuments and museums they are all pretty central. For my money I would definitely go to the Lincoln and spend a little time sitting on the steps. The Jefferson is a little further out but has a nice setting next to the tidal basin. I always love the Smithsonian Natural History and the Air and Space. Museums in DC are free, which is nice. The national Building Museum (or, architecture something? it's relatively new and I haven't been there) is supposed to be great. Pretty much all of the major "sights" are great - see if there will be a festival on the Mall when you visit, there are various fun ones throughout the summer. If you have military ties or are a history buff, the Vietnam memorial (fast to see) and Arlington cemetary (slower to see) are very moving. You could do the National Zoo, though it is a ways from the rest and would eat up at least a half day even if you are really moving fast.
posted by LobsterMitten at 2:19 PM on April 19, 2008