Reccomendations for tourists in New York, Boston, D.C?

[Faqa]

Hey,

My GF and I are planning a trip to the East Coast U.S in September. Specifically - New York, Boston, D.C. In an undetermined order thus far.

I was hoping a few residents of the areas could give me a few recommendations for what to do there. Obviously, we have our own plans, but we're still trying to gather suggestions here. Food(my GF has an especial weakness for Asian food), tourist sites, whatever.

Thanks.

(Possibly this belongs in Testing, but what the hell)

[The Grim Squeaker]

Hey, stop stealing my ideas! . (NY and DC at least).
Museums are an excellent pick, namely the museum of natural history in NY, the Smithsonian in DC, Spy museum in DC, maybe the Holocaust museum in DC, and any other museums in DC.
Also, when in NY visit one of the big Barnes and Nobles. It's no Waterstones', but still fun . (The munchkin should definitely squee to that ). You might also want to go to a laser show or iMax in NY, though I don't know if they have one there these days.
I don't know if the Niagra falls are worth it, I've never seen them, but the drive is about 3 hours as I recall hearing, which is a bit much.

[CarsonPalmer]

Definitely go to the Smithsonian in D.C., but pick one of them. Air and Space, American History, and Natural History are my favorites (but you might go to the Natural History museum in NYC instead). In New York, if you like military stuff, you might want to try the USS Intrepid Museum, which is an old aircraft carrier they turned into a museum. Its really cool, and they have a couple of other historic ships right next to it, that you can also tour.

[Anguirus]

I third the museums in DC suggestion (if you MUST pick one, Air and Space and then hit the American Museum of Natural History in New York). The Washington Monument is cool but the line is perpetually too long. The Lincoln Memorial is well worth checking out though, as is the Vietnam Memorial. The new WWII one is not bad either as long as you're walking around the Mall.

Spy Museum is fun. Holocaust Museum is not...it is an excellent museum and it will depress you quite a bit.

As for food in the immediate area, I'm not too good on specifics but you could probably find a decent Thai or Chinese place. There is a pretty good chain steak-and-sushi place called Sakura that has a restaurant in Tysons Corner. I also recommend Potbelly, a sandwich place that I think started in DC but has since spread all the way out to Texas, at least. They make really good sandwiches and milkshakes.

[Fleet Admiral JD]

First of all, in Boston you should come visit me

Anyway, other stuff to do in The Hub:

* The Freedom Trail--a nice walk around the city that hits a lot of cool historic points. Easy to follow too--either a line of bricks built into the sidewalk or a painted red line.

*Fanuiel Hall/Quincy Market: I don't remember if this is on the trail or not, but it's worth a stop. Lots of cool shopping and about a bajillion restaurants for your pleasure.

* USS Constitution/USS Casin Young: Over at the Charlestown Naval Yard is the USS Constitution. You can actually take a boat ride from near Quincy Market to the naval yard, and tour both Old Ironsides herself as well as an older destroyer, the Casin Young.

*Boston Aquarium: One of the coolest aquariums around!

*Old State House: Right down by Quincy Market, very historical

*Boston Oyster House: If you like Seafood.

*Top of the Hub at the Prudential Center: A very neat observation deck where you can see the whole city and surrounding suburbs. Be warned, though, they sometimes close off parts or all of the deck for private events.

*Various Malls/shops including: Downtown Crossing, The Shops at the Prudential Center, Newbury Street, etc.

*The North End: A must if you want incredible Italian food. For dessert, hit Joe's Pastries: A Boston tradition!

[MarshalFoch]

In Boston, to start, I would take the nearest subway or bus, called the T, to Park Street Station on the Common. From here you can go almost anywhere of interest. The Freedom Trail starts across the street from the station as you emerge, and the Common is behind you. To visit the waterfront, specifically the Aquarium which is worth a visit, it isn't that far a walk away, though there isn't exactly a trail leading there.

From the docks at the Aquarium you can catch several ships to go whale watching, deep sea fishing, or exploring Boston Harbor, as well as several tours around the city itself in DUKW's or trolleys. I would highly recommend taking a tour of the harbor islands, specifically George's Island which is a Civil War era fort you can walk around freely. Castle Island is also a nice older fort you can tour without ever getting on a boat, it is linked to land. It is rumored this is where Edgar Allen Poe got the idea to write the Cast of Amontillado.

*Fanuiel Hall/Quincy Market: I don't remember if this is on the trail or not, but it's worth a stop. Lots of cool shopping and about a bajillion restaurants for your pleasure.

It is on the Freedom Trail, which is especially useful in such a walking friendly yet directionally aggravating city such as Boston. This is also where the bar Cheers is, as well as Durgan Park. I'm not sure why everyone who visits ends up eating there, I don't know many Bostonians who do.

* USS Constitution/USS Casin Young: Over at the Charlestown Naval Yard is the USS Constitution. You can actually take a boat ride from near Quincy Market to the naval yard, and tour both Old Ironsides herself as well as an older destroyer, the Casin Young.

If you are in a really exploratory mode you could visit the Massachusetts at Battleship Cove, but it is quite a ways away from the city. Though if you are into naval history it is an excellent place with several other vessels besides the Massachusetts. The USS Salem (A Des Moines class cruiser) in Quincy isn't more than a few minutes drive away, and there is a ferry to and from Boston that goes to it.

*Top of the Hub at the Prudential Center: A very neat observation deck where you can see the whole city and surrounding suburbs. Be warned, though, they sometimes close off parts or all of the deck for private events.

Just don't eat there.

*Various Malls/shops including: Downtown Crossing, The Shops at the Prudential Center, Newbury Street, etc.

I've never liked the Pru, but Downtown Crossing is a great place.

*The North End: A must if you want incredible Italian food. For dessert, hit Joe's Pastries: A Boston tradition!

Surely you mean Mike's Pastries. There are also a lot of nice cigar shops around, it's not all about the food in the North End.

As a final note, I can not recommend highly enough the restaurant Red Bones. Simply get on the Red Line (Do not get on the wrong way and end up in Mattapan) and get off at Davis Square. It is about 2 blocks away and is absolutely fantastic, though to be honest it really isn't a "Boston" restaurant, since it is all Cajun and BBQ.

[RedImperator]

The observation deck of the Empire State Building is expensive and the last time I was there, we waited about an hour to get to the top. If the weather is clear, do it anyway. Day or night, it doesn't matter. It's the best view of New York, period, full stop.

[fgalkin]

The WTC observation deck was pretty awesome, too, but...umm....yeah

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

[Stofsk]

The observation deck of the Empire State Building is expensive and the last time I was there, we waited about an hour to get to the top. If the weather is clear, do it anyway. Day or night, it doesn't matter. It's the best view of New York, period, full stop.

QFT.

Really, if you're going to do the 'NY tourist thing', get on top of the Empire State building.

For fun, check out the USS Intrepid. That was cool, standing on the flight deck of a USN aircraft carrier, with all the other aircraft on display.

[Fleet Admiral JD]

*Fanuiel Hall/Quincy Market: I don't remember if this is on the trail or not, but it's worth a stop. Lots of cool shopping and about a bajillion restaurants for your pleasure.

It is on the Freedom Trail, which is especially useful in such a walking friendly yet directionally aggravating city such as Boston. This is also where the bar Cheers is, as well as Durgan Park. I'm not sure why everyone who visits ends up eating there, I don't know many Bostonians who do.

* USS Constitution/USS Casin Young: Over at the Charlestown Naval Yard is the USS Constitution. You can actually take a boat ride from near Quincy Market to the naval yard, and tour both Old Ironsides herself as well as an older destroyer, the Casin Young.

If you are in a really exploratory mode you could visit the Massachusetts at Battleship Cove, but it is quite a ways away from the city. Though if you are into naval history it is an excellent place with several other vessels besides the Massachusetts. The USS Salem (A Des Moines class cruiser) in Quincy isn't more than a few minutes drive away, and there is a ferry to and from Boston that goes to it.

*Top of the Hub at the Prudential Center: A very neat observation deck where you can see the whole city and surrounding suburbs. Be warned, though, they sometimes close off parts or all of the deck for private events.

Just don't eat there.

*Various Malls/shops including: Downtown Crossing, The Shops at the Prudential Center, Newbury Street, etc.

I've never liked the Pru, but Downtown Crossing is a great place.

*The North End: A must if you want incredible Italian food. For dessert, hit Joe's Pastries: A Boston tradition!

Surely you mean Mike's Pastries. There are also a lot of nice cigar shops around, it's not all about the food in the North End.

As a final note, I can not recommend highly enough the restaurant Red Bones. Simply get on the Red Line (Do not get on the wrong way and end up in Mattapan) and get off at Davis Square. It is about 2 blocks away and is absolutely fantastic, though to be honest it really isn't a "Boston" restaurant, since it is all Cajun and BBQ.

*Yeah, I meant Mike's Pastries. Sorry 'bout that one.
*What do you have against the restaurant in the Pru? I've dined there a couple of times and enjoyed it. Sure it's expensive, but. . .

Also,
*There's a cool bar over by Harvard Square called Grendel's Den, which I've heard is pretty awesome as well, and I forgot to mention.
*Duck Tours are awesome. That is all.

[Darth Wong]

We're going to NYC in late June ourselves, from the 21st to the 27th.

[MarshalFoch]

*What do you have against the restaurant in the Pru? I've dined there a couple of times and enjoyed it. Sure it's expensive, but. . .

Haha, that was a kind of inside joke aimed at you actually about the prices. Anyone who has been there knows about the prices. Similar to eating at the CN Tower though, you pay for the view, not the food.

*Duck Tours are awesome. That is all.

Seconded....

Unless you have to drive behind one.

[Slayen]

I've got to second all the suggesting so far, especially the USS Intrepid, but I'm slightly surprised so one has mentioned Ellis Island.

[Duckie]

The Boston Aquarium is nice, I went there recently. They have adorable miniature australian penguins!

[CmdrWilkens]

For DC the National Mall is obviously the palce to go but I would say you should plan a specific route and whether you are going for upbeat or interesting. If you are going for the former then Air and Space, Natural History, American History, and Lincoln Memorial are the ways to go. If you are looking for interesting then you should cut out some of the above and add in the Vietnam Memorial and the Holocaust Museum.

The Vietnam and to a lesser extent Korea War Memorials along with the Lincoln are perhaps the quietest but yet most moving parts of the mall and no matter how many times I've been there just walking down into the low point of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial evokes just this deep saddness and humbleness but quiet sort of awarnesss that is tough to express without getting into poetic language about what I think it means to be, or have been, a Marine. Certinaly it and the Holocaust Museum are very deeply moving experiences.

The Spy Museum and Newseum I would skip as being over priced and uninteresting respectively. Most of the area between the Capitol and the White House tends to have good shopping if admittedly very tourist heavy. Ford's Theater just re-opened and that is always intersting (plus its less than a block from my office) while the river front and tidal basin are just fun walking tours to have a bit of nature in the midst of the city. If you want somethign a bit less frequent but still vastly worth it I'd go with the National Archives, its convenient to most of the dining and shoppign in downtown and it certainly presents a very compact view on the history of American governance. For dining I highly recommedn either the Adams Morgan area (if you are a fan of bars and pubs), DuPont Circle (I can recommend a couple really nice hole in the wall Italian spots over there), or the Chinatown area which, despite the name, has very few Chinese resteraunts but an awful lot of excellent choices across the full range of food themes.

[Posner]

As far as DC goes, if you are on the Mall and don't plan on going to the Natural History or National Gallery of Art, at least dip in for 10 minutes to see the Hope Diamond and Da Vinci's Ginevra de' Benci respectively.

[Sea Skimmer]

If you like planes and technology at all, find a way to get out to the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, the huge annex to the National Air and Space Museum. It puts the ‘main’ portion of the museum on the mall to shame.

[CmdrWilkens]

If you like planes and technology at all, find a way to get out to the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, the huge annex to the National Air and Space Museum. It puts the ‘main’ portion of the museum on the mall to shame.

Dude I woudl recommend it as well...except that its almost a fuckign hour outsdie the city down a toll road with hideously expensive parking and hideous traffic. In other words the fact that it IS frickin awesome is the only consolation for being in way the fuck from nowhere in the process of getting there.

[Faqa]

First of all, thanks for all the suggestions so far! I forsee myself ballooning up from all the food suggested.

If you like planes and technology at all, find a way to get out to the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, the huge annex to the National Air and Space Museum. It puts the ‘main’ portion of the museum on the mall to shame.

Dude I woudl recommend it as well...except that its almost a fuckign hour outsdie the city down a toll road with hideously expensive parking and hideous traffic. In other words the fact that it IS frickin awesome is the only consolation for being in way the fuck from nowhere in the process of getting there.

Yeah, sounds about like the sort of thing I could NOT drag my GF along to, especially if it's a pain to get to. Oh, well. It's not like there's a shortage of military hardware to view in the area, it would seem.

Ford's Theater just re-opened and that is always intersting (plus its less than a block from my office)

As in the holy-shit-Lincoln-got-shot-here Ford's theater? Cool.

Duck Tours are awesome.

Uh, wat? The name does sound intriguing, but...

Are there any events anyone knows of in the areas taking place in the areas around the time stated(late September-early October)? To avoid or to not avoid?

(Also, a side question - is there ANY point whatsoever in renting a car in any of these areas? Or can I get to most important places with public transport?)

[MarshalFoch]

Uh, wat? The name does sound intriguing, but...

A duck tour is just an amphibious tour of the city. Using these WWII era vehicles (DUKWs) to tour both the streets of Boston and some parts of the harbor. They don't show as much of the city as the trolley tours do, but you do get to go on the water and see the shoreline.

Are there any events anyone knows of in the areas taking place in the areas around the time stated(late September-early October)? To avoid or to not avoid?

Unless you want to shell out ridiculous amounts of money, don't even think about Red Sox games. Kenmore Square though, where Fenway is located, can be a very entertaining area of the city after these late-season or postseason games. Plenty of people will hang out around there waiting for the celebration or just to be near the game, though it can get quite sour after a loss. I would not recommend wearing any non-Boston sports regalia.

Aside from the culmination of the Red Sox season and thus the best times to visit sports bars, there isn't really much going on at that time. Many of the street entertainers, who are usually located at Quincy Market and Faneuil Hall, will have left by this time. Those that do remain will be doing their best to earn whatever money they can before the weather goes south, which it will abruptly sometime after Labor Day. Snow in October is not unheard of, but expect temperatures in the 50's to 60's and a high chance that rain will come at some point.

(Also, a side question - is there ANY point whatsoever in renting a car in any of these areas? Or can I get to most important places with public transport?)

Unless you plan on traveling to points well outside the city like Salem (of Witch Trial fame) or Plymouth (Pilgrims) it is a waste of time for Boston. The city is incredibly compact to the point even public transportation can be waived off if you aren't in a hurry. Not to mention with the mess and tangle that is Boston roads you will spare yourself a lot of headaches trying to figure out why Court Street becomes State Street at some indiscernable point, why Tremont Street suddenly disappears (It takes a sharp left without bothering to tell anyone), or why the Customs House isn't on Customs House Street (It's on State, remember the street that used to be Court when you got on it?).

[CmdrWilkens]

Ford's Theater just re-opened and that is always intersting (plus its less than a block from my office)

As in the holy-shit-Lincoln-got-shot-here Ford's theater? Cool.

That's the one, the theater is on one side and the house where he died is on the other side...all less than a block away from both good local eats along with the Hard Rock and ESPN Zone.

Are there any events anyone knows of in the areas taking place in the areas around the time stated(late September-early October)? To avoid or to not avoid?

If you are in the area for the weekend just watch out because football season traffic can get ridiculous in certain parts of town. Outside of that not sure if there are any specific events off the top of my head worth looking for specifically though I don't know what will be at the Shakespeare Theater during that period.

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

If you like planes and technology at all, find a way to get out to the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, the huge annex to the National Air and Space Museum. It puts the ‘main’ portion of the museum on the mall to shame.

Dude I woudl recommend it as well...except that its almost a fuckign hour outsdie the city down a toll road with hideously expensive parking and hideous traffic. In other words the fact that it IS frickin awesome is the only consolation for being in way the fuck from nowhere in the process of getting there.

I heard that you could take a feeder service from the Washington Dulles airport to get there. It isn't saying much since Washington Dulles is a hell of a distance from D.C. itself but if he is flying through Dulles airport, he could try making a trip from there and back.

But having gone there, and the awesomeness of having to see the Space Shuttle Enterprise up close along with the B-29 bomber used to carry the Atomic bomb, plus the SR-71 Black Bird, plus the Concorde, more than makes up the effort for going there. (Though a post-doc friend of mine drove me to the place from College Park. Took more than an hour to get there)