NE US - THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY

LAST VISITED AUG-SEPT 2019

I've done 2 NE US trips of about 4-5 weeks each - the first Sept 2018, the second Aug-Sept 2019. My base was NYC and the thing they say about how it draws you back is true. A dedicated cheapskate and liker of laid back locations which is the antithesis of expensive, brash NYC, I was determined to go back, both to revisit places I thought great and to check a few new locations out.
But NYC was just the epicenter - I ranged as far north as BOSTON, as far west as NIAGARA, south to CAPE MAY and east to CAPE COD. Other places visited included WASHINGTON DC, THE HAMPTONS, CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN LONG ISLAND, NANTUCKET, MARTHAS VINEYARD, RHODE ISLAND, ATLANTIC CITY and other south JERSEY SHORE places, PHILADELPHIA, COLD SPRING plus a whole range of places between - seen from bus or train windows.

CC (top right) is CAPE COD. The touristy islands of NANTUCKET and MARTHAS VINEYARD can be seen just below the Cape. MONTAUK is at the NE end of LONG ISLAND and the HAMPTONS. Fer old time imperial fans needing help with the linear scale, 250km is about 155miles.



THE GOOD

You may disagree, but Greta is my idea of good.



THE TOTAL BLOWOUT
It'd so unsophisticated (as I am) and commercial, but what I though the highlight of my NE USA tours was THE" MAID OF THE MIST" CRUISE under NIAGARA FALLS

In actual fact all NIAGARA was a blow out. Visitors to the north-east are nuts if they miss it.


UNEXPECTED GEM 
1 - THE CAPE COD MARITIME MUSEUM: HYANNIS PORT
I was looking to fill some time before my ferry left for NANTUCKET, so I called in here hoping it might absorb a bit. Kidding, this compact place is so fascinating I could have spent half the day -  or more. Entry cost very modest.

The downstairs boat restoration area - those dudes are full of information, like a natter. But this is just part of the museum - want facts, pix, models of New England small and larger craft and trade. A whole lot of info on general sea-going including navigation, tsunamis. A library where I could have spent all day. And more.

Restored boats for sale

Boat nerds will love it.

2 - WATKINS GLEN STATE PARK 
This was a whistle-stop on the long bus trip (do buses whistle?) from NIAGARA to DC. My prior knowledge of WATKINS GLEN was confined to the motor racing circuit which I knew we would go nowhere near. So I was delighted that our brief stop included a trek down the really excellent local gorge.

So my short call-in was way better than I expected.



OTHER BETTER THAN EXPECTED

1 -NYC SUBWAY 

 My prior-trip reading left me not expecting too much from the subway - sure it was initially confusing, noisy, often crowded, often hot and often dirty but after I worked out how it ran I found the lack of expense, the frequency and the mulitplicity of lines and stations excellent.
TIPS - get a free subway map from just about any ticket office. Use the helpful advisers at the junction of the AIR TRAIN and normal system to work out your initial route and ticket. Work out prior to visit (online info excellent) which type of ticket is best for your stay - the adviser will get this for you. (I found unlimited use tickets brilliant but this depends on how long your stay).

2 - ORCHARD BEACH
A public beach in the BRONX. And a good one at that - I preferred it to the other NYC beaches I visited - CONEY ISLAND, BRIGHTON BEACH and ROCKAWAY BEACH (all a much further stretch for most NYC residents). What's more ORCHARD is completely man made - whoever filled in the bay to create this wide, deep stretch of sand backed by extensive park areas sure did a good job.

3 - HARVARD TOUR

A fan of self-guided tours, I read up about HARVARD intending to go it alone, and popped out of the subway just when guide NICK above was starting his spiel. It was so good I asked if I could join in and pay the modest fee at the end. Sure.
NICK, a student, had an insider's knowledge of locations and history, with a neat and often humorous delivery. He pointed out things I would have definitely missed. Well worth the modest cost.

4 - TIMES SQUARE
All the travel advisories say give it a miss. Sure it's touristy and crowded but I personally thought the energy, people watching, refreshment opportunities and other attractions fantastic.

Busy

The Square has several interactive AV displays. Not too sure about the dodgy dude arrowed.

No shortage of refreshment opportunities....

....and free entertainment artists.


BEST BEACH
In general I was not gruntled by north-east beaches, which are mainly long, featureless east facing barrier beaches, many impacted by storm erosion. But CAPE MAY at the southern tip of New Jersey was different - facing more to the south, interrupted (but not in the pic below) by frequent mini-breakwalls and small changes in direction

The eastern beach at CAPE MAY - these panorama shots click-expand nicely.

A section further west

The town itself was pretty nice - had maybe the best pedestrian mall all 2 NE trips.....

.....and some excellent period architecture. Very expensive though.

And despite being AFTER the Labor Day long weekend, this was one beach place hadn't died. As can be seen from the mall shot 2 up.


BEST LARGE CITY
Of course this must go to NYC.

LITTLE ITALY epitomizes the bustling nature of NYC




BEST MEDIUM CITY
BOSTON.
BOSTON a medium city? Well compared to NYC or even Oz's SYDNEY it ain't particularly big. Which is part of its attraction - there are so many things to see and so much history within a short distance that I did nearly all either on foot or by a quick subway/bus ride.

Note I thought WASHINGTON DC was almost as good for much the same reasons.

BEST SMALL TOWN AND BEST RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECTURE (for normal folk).
COLD SPRING
COLD SPRING in up-Hudson NY STATE was everything you expect of a small north-east town. Cute main street, immaculate old-style housing. As a matter of  fact it also gets my award for BEST RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECTURE over places like Jersey's CAPE MAY or Nantucket's SIASCONSET because the last two are just too expensive for normal folk

COLD SPRING main street

COLD SPRING HOUSING - a glance in the local realter window showed these a fraction of the price in NYC and the MASSACHUSSETTS islands and way cheaper than my home town.

SIASCONSET housing - very nice but way overpriced. We are looking at $US3million+. Kidding. You could buy TEZZA'S seaside/clifftop home in a much nicer town with way better beaches and NO HARD WINTERS for half that. And Oz has had a crazy real estate  boom and wage levels to equal USA's (but maybe not as many  people as those who buy real-estate on NANTUCKET).


BEST NATURAL VIEWPOINT
MOUNT TAURUS NEAR COLD SPRING

The above viewpoint down the HUDSON on the MT TAURUS TREK (one of several trails just west of COLD SPRING) shows WEST POINT (white) and COLD SPRING (yellow). Although I did a lot of waking around NYC, BOSTON, the JERSEY SHORE, WASHINGTON DC and the MASSACHUSETTS SHORE this was the only rural trek I did in the north-east. Unlike previous years in the south-west or HAWAII where I did many. Getting old - the knees are pretty hopeless.
It was really excellent although not unusually I lost the trail and also took a tumble on a steep rough slippery down-slope. So I titled my TRIPADVISOR report: "WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH, THE TOUGH....FALL OVER". No damage apart from some lost skin despite being a fortnight short of my 74th birthday.

A veteran of Australian bush treks, I kept an eye out for wildlife - was initially disappointed. Eventually I came across this black snake - not an unusual occurrence at home, I know if snakes feel non-threatened they mind their own business. So I ignored it, and it ignored me. 

BEST OBSERVATION DECK 
ONE WORLD 
It's not so much that it's higher (not by much anyhow over EMPIRE STATE - and slightly lower than the not-finished-at-the-time-of-my-visit THE DECK AT HUDSON YARDS) - rather ONE WORLD's position on the west side of the downtown office zone with fewer high buildings to hinder outlook gives superior views over JERSEY, the SOUTH RIVER, BROOKLYN, the midtown/southern LOWRISE AREA and the MIDTOWN/UPTOWN SKYSCRAPER area. (however CENTRAL PARK is hidden by MIDTOWN/UPTOWN highrise).
ONE WORLD has a subway stop (WORLD TRADE CENTER) virtually in the basement. It seemed to have quickest access, but maybe that was time of day. There was seating at the observation level.

Outlook north - HUDSON YARDS (black)....CENTRAL PARK TOWER (yellow) which will be the highest residential building in the world when finished; the roof is actually higher than ONE WORLD [which wins if you include the spire].....EMPIRE STATE (white)....THE CHRYSLER (pastel purple).

Outlook to the south

That's GOVERNORS ISLAND close. The far bridge is the VERRAZZANO NARROWS BRIDGE

joining STATEN ISLAND (right) to SOUTH BROOKLYN.

Outlook to the SSE.

The Lady.

THE EMPIRE STATE V TOP OF THE ROCK

I thought TOP OF THE ROCK was the better viewpoint despite being considerably lower. 
For a start it had an outlook over CENTRAL PARK to the north (although I'm wondering how long that will last with the current building boom of residential towers bordering the south end of the park)....

....and to the south you can also see the EMPIRE STATE (yellow) and ONE WORLD (pastel purple). The CHRYSLER is off to the near left of image, but my camera's field of view could not include it.

Swing a few degrees west....

....JERSEY CITY (gray) and the unopened highest tower of HUDSON YARDS (black - notice THE DECK sticking out on its eastern side which when opened will be (just) highest in NYC).



But here's the thing - the EMPIRE STATE has way more cachet in being a genuine NYC icon. It has a way better lobby display, a better gift shop and the views from the top aren't exactly shabby....

..

....with great 360 views. Above is west towards the HUDSON R and NEW JERSEY. The highest MANHATTAN building in shot is the under-construction highest tower of  HUDSON YARDS. 

On the downside EMPIRE STATE is most crowded, has the most intrusive security check and has little seating on the observation deck levels.
However if I only had time to do one OBSERVATION DECK, this would be it on account of the cachet. But don't beat yourself up - either of the other 2 is excellent. Or maybe 3 - see below.


THE UNKNOWN - THE DECK AT HUDSON YARDS
Due to open in the Spring of 2020 this promises to be (slightly) the highest observation deck in NYC. It's also transparent which should be spectacular. But being cantilevered off the east side of the building - does that mean no west facing views over the HUDSON and JERSEY?
 

Unfortunately I'm too old and live too far from NYC to return, so I'll never know if THE DECK beats the others. If you check it out, could you please post in at the foot of the page and let us know.



BEST FREEBIE
There's a host of things you can do for free if you do your research (people have even written books on FREE NYC), most work if you are prepared to check them out on foot, like a foot tour of the FINANCIAL DISTRICT,9/11 areas, CENTRAL PARK, (um, there's so many great places so let's say just about ALL Manhattan south of south HARLEM), ROOSEVELT ISLAND, the parks of riverside QUEENS/LONG ISLAND CITY and of course walking BROOKLYN BRIDGE and checking the touristy precinct on the other side. Not to mention wandering around upstate NY,  BOSTON, CAPE COD, the offshore islands, ATLANTIC CITY and nearby plus WASHINGTON DC. There's also a bunch of cultural freebies like movies in the park, free admission to museums and galleries at certain times.


But of the things I expected would normally have a charge, the ones that stood out were:

The STATEN ISLAND FERRY

If you are bucks down, you don't need a paid harbor trip to see THE LADY up close. Check downpage for the view of southern MANHATTAN which is also excellent. As a matter of fact the whole across/return trip is excellent.

The ROOSEVELT ISLAND BUS
The RED BUS runs frequently from near one end of the island to another passing the subway station, for zero cost - details online. You can also walk this 2 mile stretch. Don't confuse it with the pay Q102 which runs between Queens and the island.

The ROOSEVELT ISLAND TRAM
OK, this cable car starting adjacent the west end of the QUEENBORO BRIDGE, running parallel to it and then down to the East River island is not really free - has a very reasonable normal subway charge - for which you can use your subway card. And for people like me with UNLIMITED RIDE cards this in reality meant the ride cost zero extra. BTW some guide books say this has the best MANHATTAN views of all - but I can think of half a dozen better.

THE VESSEL AT HUDSON YARDS
This interactive piece of architecture has free tickets to climb...

....and magic views from the top

Westward outlook over HUDSON RAILWAY YARDS, HUDSON RIVER and HOBOKAN NJ.


So which of the above 4 is THE BEST FREEBIE? I'll give it to the STATEN ISLAND FERRY for those fabulous views of THE LADY and the SOUTH MANHATTAN HIGH-RISE DISTRICT.

CAVEAT - some freebies are disappearing. I found this to be true of several museums which used to have free periods for certain customers - eg THE MET for oldies at certain times. So check online as to the latest status. This will also tell you if specific areas are closed - eg THE MET's pop art section was being refurbished when I called by. Sometimes the whole attraction is closed - eg THE DECK (observation) at HUDSON YARDS was closed both years of my visit - I expected it to be finished in the second year. I believe the latest date for opening is SPRING 2020.

Many interesting places the guide-books may mention can be closed.


BEST MANHATTAN VIEW
Gee, I'm not sure. Is it from the BROOKLYN SIDE OF THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE? From the STATEN ISLAND FERRY; from ROOSEVELT ISLAND; from THE TOP OF THE ROCK where in one direction you can see north into CENTRAL PARK - in the other south over most of the MIDTOWN HIGHRISE, MIDTOWN/SOUTH LOWRISE, SOUTHERN HIGHRISE areas, not to mention magic views EAST and WEST (ONE WORLD reverses this except CENTRAL PARK is hidden); from RIVERSIDE PARKS in LONG ISLAND CITY or JERSEY CITY/HOBOKEN - or a host of other places? 

The SOUTHERN HIGHRISE AREA from the STATEN ISLAND FERRY. Just to the right, the view from GOVERNORS ISLAND is similar (below).

Or is it the same area from just below the BROOKLYN SIDE of the famous bridge?

 Alternatively it could be the MIDTOWN HIGHRISE area from GANTRY PLAZA STATE PARK** on the LONG ISLAND CITY shore. Note how tops of highest buildings are enclosed in cloud - in this way I avoided going to the EMPIRE STATE at the wrong time (which if you have a per-booked tour you can't do easily).

**NYC, JERSEY CITY and HOBOKEN have dozens of good riverside parks where big money has been spent, making them very attractive for visitors and locals. There's even a web page on these parks.

Or maybe best MANHATTAN VIEW is from one of a dozen other places. eg check some of the shots from the highrise observation decks up page.

BEST OVER THE TOP  
I enjoy things/places that are way too much. The one that stood out most was THE PROVINCETOWN (Cape Cod) GAY PRIDE PARADE

I took the long bus trip from HYANNIS to northern CAPE COD to check out the PROVINCETOWN BEACHES. These were typically pretty ordinary but I lucked in - the annual GAY PARADE was on that day, with a quarter-million extra people in to check the scene - and for many visitors both gay and straight, to fancy-dress and parade both during and for several hours before actual kick-off time. Good stuff.



BEST BAR
I'm not a bar crawler, but the one I liked best was the SANDBAR at Nantucket's Jetties Beach. Good service, prices okay, cool 60s/70s/80s music and friendly fellow customers.
The adjacent beach was pretty good by US standards, but would not make my top thousand of world beaches (and there's lots of the world I haven't seen).

BEST MUSEUM

I have already mentioned the CAPE COD MARITIME MUSEUM under "UNEXPECTED GEMS" up page - but one I expected would be good and was in fact excellent was the free Smithsonian MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY adjacent the National Mall in DC.

BTW this was not my best free museum personally (see below) but I reckon this is the one which would suit a whole family best. I could have spent the whole day here - mum and the kids will love it.

BEST FREE MUSEUM

SMITHSONIAN AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM - DC.

I'm an airplane nut so this was my personal best  free museum - also on the side of Washington's NATIONAL MALL. I reckon most males both adult and junior will rate it #1 - females maybe less so. My visit in 2018 was rushed and so I made a point of returning here in 2019 (in fact it was my major reason for revisiting DC) - spent many extra hours. 

AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM ANNEX NEAR DULLES AIRPORT

I enjoyed the main museum so much I was determined to check out the even bigger annex in VIRGINIA when I returned to the NE in 2019 - took me about 45 mins each way via train + bus from WASHINGTON. Big parking area for normal folk. Many sources say it is as good as the main museum. It was.

This place has so much room there were airplanes I'v never heard of. Plus famous ones - note "ENOLA GAY" and the CONCORDE

"DISCOVERY" and sundry satellites.

OTHER GOOD MUSEUMS
THE NANTUCKET WHALING MUSEUM

This is a good one - a modest entry fee gets you into this place which consumes yer time like crazy. My TRIPADVISOR review is titled "TIME BANDIT". Displays, history, talks, audio-visual, magic views from the rooftop viewpoint.....and more.
Gotta say the associated NANTUCKET TOWN WALKING TOUR was excellent value.

BEST VALUE HOSTEL

IN 2018 ATLANTIC CITY HOUSE got the gong. 

Yellow arrow shows access with good security. Blue arrow small balcony - a good place to hang out. White - ATLANTIC CITY main steet, with bus station less than 5 minutes walk left. The famous BOARDWALK only 300m behind camera. Place a converted apartment house - nicely done up inside by someone with an artistic touch. Excellent manager SUSAN. Main faults: a bit small and crowded, limited parking and in a dodgy neighborhood (latter didn't worry me - there were always cops on the beat or in prowl cars nearby and hostel security was excellent).

BIG CHANGE for 2019 - ACH (name change to ATLANTIC HOUSE) relocated to Texas Avenue less than 15 mins walk south. Although further from bus station, closer to boardwalk (only 50m) and in a better neighborhood. More parking but not great. Also bigger with more rooms - unfortunately communal areas still crowded. Had nice outdoor area for relaxing in back. New manager had good people skills but lacked SUSAN'S organisational flair so some things a bit slack. Pricing similar at the time I booked, but I preferred the old joint. 

So....

.... in 2019 I thought another place,  HOSTELING INTERNATIONAL on MARTHA'S VINEYARD, was best value hostel. HI places are not exactly cheap, but for this mega expensive island the joint was a relative bargain - I think some sort of HI cross-subsidy works in the north-east:NYC HI was way overpriced even considering that city's mega expensive real estate.

OK, HI MARTHAS VINEYARD is way out of town in the middle of the (compact) island, but a good inexpensive bus service stops outside and several bike trails pass by. The place itself was clean, quiet, not too big and very well managed. The last was more than I can say for HI NANTUCKET which otherwise was of similar value. Had  a good near beach location but not near town.

HI MARTHAS VINEYARD

BEST HOSTEL 

NYC HOSTELING INTERNATIONAL

This huge institution on the upper westside has a lot going for it. Close to a subway station, clean, good rooms/bathrooms, good security, a very good value cafe, a spacious kitchen and common areas, hard working staff and a big outside area in back (not expected in a mid city hostel). 

But it isn't perfect - no free breakfast (unusual for a HI), no air-drying for washing (plenty of room out back - probably some stupid local ordnance), and expensive even given its NYC location (HI is genuinely a non-profit organisation, but as I say elsewhere on this page, I am sure there is some sort of cross-subsidy making other NE HIs cheaper than expected - which is fine for dudes like me who got to use them).

Reception could get too busy at times - but it's kinda hard to anticipate a whole load of unbooked people turning up at once.

Cafe eating area just one of several spots to take a meal.

Another HI plus is a bunch of rather good NYC excursions out of the hostel. This is JERRY, an octogenatian who leads an all day foot/train/ferry city tour encompassing BROOKLYN (including the bridge walk), LOWER MANHATTAN which has a bunch of  diverse attractions and the STATEN ISLAND FERRY. This is free although pensioner JERRY will not refuse tips. I gave him $10 which probably makes this BEST VALUE NYC EXCURSION. 

Hope JERRY did alright in the recent COVID 19 crisis.

Checking the BROOKLYN HEIGHTS brownstones.

BEST VALUE ACCOMMODATION

BEST WESTERN AIRPORT RHODE ISLAND

You would think one of the hostels would win here, but for only a few dollars more I got me a lovely room at THE BEST WESTERN WAWRICK AIRPORT RI in midweek (rates vary markedly - I was lucky, got me a slow night). Beats sharing a crowded dorm with others and the double bed/huge room were luxury. Joint had great facilities, close to a bus stop which is important for me (and of course good parking for others)...

....not to mention what I thought a yummy filling comp breakfast.

OTHER "GOODS" NOT MENTIONED ABOVE

BRYANT PARK
THE MET
THE HIGHLINE
USS INTREPID AIR SPACE AND SEA MUSEUM
AROUND MANHATTAN BOAT TOUR
NYC BIG BUS TOUR
HOPPING ON A PASSING NYC BUS AND TAKING IT TO THE END
CROSS-RIVER FERRIES NYC
GRAND CENTRAL STATION NYC
LITTLE ITALY
LITTLE ODESA
CHINATOWN
COLUMBIA U
MOST OTHER PARTS OF MANHATTAN 
HARLEM
THE BRONX
BROOKLYN BRIDGE
BROOKLYN'S TOURISTY ZONE ON THE RIVERSIDE NEAR BRIDGE
THE VIEW FROM ANY OF THE DOZEN OR MORE NYC AND JERSEY        
           RIVERSIDE PARKS
THE LOCAL HOSTEL LONG ISLAND CITY/QUEENS

FERRIES OUT OF CAPE COD, NEARBY ISLANDS.
HI BOSTON
MOST ATTRACTIONS IN BOSTON
HI HYANNIS
HYANNIS HARBOUR CRUISE
CAPE COD BIKE TRAIL
HI WASHINGTON DC
JUST ABOUT EVERY ATTRACTION IN WASHINGTON DC
NJ TRANSIT BUSES
BALLY'S CASINO ATLANTIC CITY
ATLANTIC CITY BOARDWALK
BOARDWALK TRAMS
STEEL PIER ATLANTIC CITY
EPSILON LIGHTHOUSE ATLANTIC CITY
OCEAN CITY NJ
GOOD SERVICE - I know, low wages and reliance on tips lead to this. But good service most of the time is still refreshing after the variable stuff we get in Oz.
LOTSA COPS - another I know. In a system which lacks a social safety net and therefore has a high crime rate**, you need lotsa cops to keep a lid on things. Nevertheless I was comforted by having them always seemingly close on hand - in Oz you can seldom find them quickly when needed.
**all those cops seem to have the crime rate under control. I never felt threatened in NYC, ATLANTIC CITY or WAHINGTON DC which used to have bad reputations for crime.



----------------------------------------

SO SO THINGS - NOT GOOD, NOT BAD
MOST NE BEACHES
PORT AUTHORITY BUS STATION
NY PUBLIC LIBRARY
CONEY ISLAND
GREYHOUND BUSES
CHELSEA MARKETS
WILLIAMSBURGH SELF GUIDED TOUR
BED-STY SELF GUIDED TOUR
 MOST MID-TOWN/SOUTH LOW-RISE DISTRICTS
---------------------------------------- 



THE BAD

A genuinely bad guy

BAD 1 - NOISY FIRETUCKS

I've visited many countries, but nowhere have I experienced the racket that NYC fire trucks kick up. As matter of fact, nowhere have I seen the swagger these dudes put on - seems post 9/11 they are starting to believe the media's hero worship. Fact is these blokes are no braver than Brit firemen in the days of the blitz - yet those blokes weren't boosted to national hero status. They just got on with it - as do fire men in other countries. 
In NYC fire trucks can't even go to a routine alarm check without multi sirens, horns blaring, engines screaming etc.

At present the true 2020 heroes constantly putting themselves in harm's way are the front line medical people - nurses, paramedics, doctors, other hospital and medical staff etc. I wonder if they will become long time folk heroes? I doubt it.

True 2020 heroes - they don't face danger for just one horrible afternoon in Sept - but everyday, day after day.


BAD 2 - HIGH FASHION - WHERE?

Pre visit, many people mentioned NYC's highlight to them was the abundance of fashionably dressed people. Seems something I missed - sure there are fashionable folk there, but no more than in other big cities I've visited, and way fewer I'd suggest than LA.

BAD 3 - FAST FOOD

I thought FAST FOOD in the north east very disappointing - way overpriced, often undersized, often lacking in heat. This one behind SURFIDE BEACH in NANTUCKET added to the sins in having nowhere to sit and eat - apparently visitors are supposed to eat in their cars (I was on foot) or on the beach (it was cool and blowy).
I actually thought the scene in NYC better - still mainly overpriced but at least there was usually somewhere to sit and something interesting to check out. And the pizza was hot and yummy. So was food truck stuff some of which was even value - I got a $1 hot dog from one! Some of yu dudes are probably rolling yer eyes big time but for a true cheapskate that's a win. And the roll was soft and fresh.


THE MOST BAD - WAY PRETENTIOUS AND OVER-RATED.
THE HAMPTONS
I have read so much, seen so many films/TV shows featuring this north-east section of LONG ISLAND that I was expecting something really fantastic. Instead I found fairly flat largely featureless countryside, very ordinary beaches, way overpriced housing and accommodation and a general pretentious air. I think this is the result of being so close to a huge city with a big bunch of wealthy people able to bid up prices and over-hype the attractiveness of a pretty ordinary  location for their own benefit. No wonder these people are gob-smacked by the GREEK ISLANDS, TUSCANY, COASTAL SPAIN and so many other places. Hell, I can think of dozens of locations in Australia (including parts of Sydney and even my own town south of Sydney) which are more attractive.

Location close to NYC explains a lot

Beaches very ordinary - would not make my top 1000. This is MONTAUK. Note lack of people on a reasonably nice 70% sunny, warm day just after the LABOR DAY weekend. NE beach places sure die after Labor Day.
This beach thing got me - I relied on TRIPADVISOR reviews and similar to indicate what beaches were worth visiting but maybe this is not so reliable in certain areas. Thing is a lot of reviewers are city/country folk seldom see a beach and when they do they go ape-shit - OF COURSE it's the best beach in the world! So they rate it EXCELLENT when if fact it is pretty ordinary. Others use the sites' ratings systems to reinforce their impecable taste - "I chose this beach so OF COURSE it's excellent!" and they rate it as such. Moral of story - don't believe those ratings.



A BIT PRETENTIOUS
NANTUCKET AND NEIGHBOURS
OK, the HAMPTONS are more pretentious than most. But one other I thought a bit too cool for school was NANTUCKET. Sure it's an attractive island and worth visiting, but the towns, beaches, general landscape don't warrant the hype and ridiculous high season pricing. Ditto neighboring MARTHA'S VINEYARD and even nearby CAPE COD.

NANTUCKET TOWN - cobbled streets epitomize the slightly pretentious nature of these MASSACHUSETTS islands.


WORST BEACH
FIRE ISLAND
In general the north-east beaches weren't up to much, most of them rating NOT GOOD, NOT BAD and some of them fitting the downright BAD category. The one I thought worst was on LONG ISLAND's offshore FIRE ISLAND. This featureless barrier island beach went on and on, backed by equally featureless dunes and severely knocked around by storm erosion.

Not too much sand left at high tide. Beach weed and dune grasses not particularly attractive.

Crikey

Note FIRE ISLAND is not part of the overblown HAMPTONS (see up page) - but its mid LONG ISLAND LOCATION is close enough to still have some of that over-hyped thing. 
However my visit was not a waste of time - I'm interested in how CLIMATE CHANGE with its more frequent storms and high tides is impacting coastal areas; also the ferry trip from/to the "mainland" was enjoyable and DAVIS PARK VILLAGE/MARINA/WATCH HILL DUNE WALK were interesting (although confirming the truism that north east resorts die after LABOR DAY).
So central Long Island is not a write off. Note too that central and far Long Island are well served by the LONG ISLAND RAILROAD and a good inexpensive local bus service. 
South-west LONG ISLAND of course has the sizable BROOKLYN and QUEENS [part of NYC]. Once NYC officially ends there is a whole bunch of conurbated commuter towns  which can be thought of as part of GREATER NEW YORK. LI an interesting island. 


MOST EXPENSIVE AND WORST VALUE ACCOMMODATION
DUANTS ALBATROSS INN - MONTAUK (the HAMPTONS)
Despite being shoulder season after Labor Day, this place cost me more than any other joint including very nice high season rooms at BALLY'S CASINO ATLANTIC CITY and BEST WESTERN NIAGARA. 
Daunt's room wasn't up to much - an old style motel with thin walls (not great when people one side decide to party and the other to have a domestic) and no breakfast. In its favor was closeness to the beach and town-central, an okay pool-outdoor area, good parking (although I came in by train and the station was a hell of a walk) and great reception staff (the Irish girl was a gem).

DISAPPOINTING.
I - THE CHRYSLER
OK, its exterior is aesthetically pleasing, more attractive than the EMPIRE STATE, but it's difficult to find somewhere where you can get a good free view......

.....and the biggest disappointment was no public access apart from the fancy foyer which IMHO is way overhyped. At least it was free. This place has no observation deck.



2 - THE FLATIRON
So it's type of construction was novel at the time. As was its height and skinny appearance. But there is nothing novel about this building these days - NYC has higher, better looking etc and plenty of cities have buildings as narrow or with more novel construction techniques. I thought my long trek from the FINANCIAL DISTRICT was wasted (there is a nearby subway station but I wanted to check lowrise areas to the south which apart from CHINATOWN and LITTLE ITALY were similarly ho-hum) apart from the rather good park across the road.

3 - RHODE ISLAND -IN GENERAL including PROVIDENCE, NEWPORT and the HISTORIC BUILDING SECTION. 
About the only good things I found on RI were the efficient bus system, the excellent mid-week value of the AIRPORT BEST WESTERN INN and the kindness of some passing elderly locals who picked me up in their car in the pouring rain near the ferry terminal and took me to the nearest (not really near) bus-stop with shelter.

I wasn't whelmed by the NEWPORT waterfront - a bit pretentious and no reference to historical events like the AMERICAS CUP CHALLENGES of the 70s/80s.

Similarly NEWPORT'S historic buildings didn't blow me away - nearby BOSTON and EDGARTOWN (Marthas Vineyard) have the equivalent. Hell, even SYDNEY can match this.



BIGGEST TOURIST TRAP
SECRET CAVES - upper NY state
This place is dead lucky for its location about midway between NYC and NIAGARA making it the perfect break-trip call-in. Apparently the caves were refuges for local cattle back in the day and this is how they were found by early settlers. But as far as underground caves are concerned, I thought them way ordinary. The countryside on the short trip off the interstate was sure pretty, however

THE UGLY

Genuinely ugly dude.
Don't get much uglier than the current TEZZA. Maybe looking a bit more rugged than normal on account of just finishing a 14km down and back by bicyle on the ATLANTIC CITY BOARDWALK.
Hard to tell that under that weathered exterior is a honed athlete could handle a posse of pole dancers in one session - and win a district age-group triathlon afterwards. Except for the dodgy knees and 2 life-threatening health problems. How good was life only 3 years ago?



LAND OF THE FREE - NOT
There are more rules, regulations and "DO NOT" signs in the USA, plus cops and other officials to enforce them**,  than any other democracy I've visited. I put this down to the surplus of lawyers leading to a litigious society. And probably a backlash from 9/11.

**average Americans are lovely people but it seems that if you give them a uniform and some authority many go on a power trip. The over-reaction of lifeguards at ORCHARD BEACH and ATLANTIC CITY BEACH to non-threatening situations left me gob smacked.

"NO" is the theme.

Say WHAT?.... WHY?

More

....and more.



THE SUBWAY
Hold on, I listed NYC's SUBWAY  under "THE GOOD". But initially the subway lived up to its ugly reputation - confusing, noisy, often hot, overcrowded and dirty. TIP - give it time: with experience it tends to do the job well.

HOMELESS
I can't complain of being hassled by street people - maybe the era of ZERO TOLERANCE has removed that. But what I thought ugly was the sheer number of these people. Once again, the lack of a social safety net in the USA was showing the results, something someone from a country which has a good safety net system and doesn't pay huge taxes finds hard to understand.

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