Need recommendations for interesting places / sights on the US East coast

[MisterIceTeaPeach]

For spring 2020 (April or May) I plan to travel to the US East coast. Two destinations shall be definitely Boston and New York. I am considering also to go to Philadelphia and / or Washington, but Idk if it is worth. If anyone can tell me interesting places / sights in or near mentioned places I would gladly take them into my heart for my planning. I plan to book the journey till end of November at the latest.

Edited October 18, 2019 by Ingrid Brandl Galatea

[Karimlan]

Is that Washington State or the DC area? I'm guessing the latter since you bring up Boston and NYC.

Boston and the DC area are teeming with history, if you're into that. Barring allergies, food ain't a problem either for the three places you have in mind.

Edited October 18, 2019 by Karimlan

[Interdimensional Observer]

If you like museums, Washington D.C. has a lot of federally-funded free ones. Most are located on the National Mall within walking distance of each other. The Smithsonians are the most noted ones, particularly the:

• National Air and Space Museum
• National Museum of American History
• National Museum of Natural History

Thats the big trifecta of Smithsonians when people think of "the Smithsonian". Some others include:

• National Museum of African-American History and Culture
• National Museum of the American Indian
• Smithsonian American Art Museum & National Portrait Gallery (not on the National Mall)
• And the Smithsonian Castle- which is just a pretty visitor's center.

There are modern, Asian, and African art museums too, a Postal Museum, and a non-Smithsonian National Gallery of Art.

 

Besides museums, there is the US Botanic Gardens on the National Mall, which is fairly small. The Library of Congress is worth a visit too to the east of the Mall. And, you have no shortage of National Monuments and Memorials dedicated to past wars and great men in history, the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial being the most famed. And I almost forgot the US National Archives, where the original copies of the Declaration of Independence and US Constitution are carefully stored.

 

Go a just a little outside of DC proper (trolley service exists), and you get Arlington National Cemetery. And Mount Vernon isn't far away either- the historic residence and plantation of George Washington.

 

-But, I don't advise putting too much on your plate. Your feet will otherwise hate you.

 

 

----

Speaking of feet bleeding, if you go to New York City and are thinking about "the Met"- the Metropolitan Museum of Art (not the opera house), don't try to schedule any other museums for the day. The place is colossal, with everything imaginable. The just as famed American Natural History Museum is similarly large. For a smaller, not so grand option, consider the New York Historical Society.

Several major NYC museums are to the left or right of Central Park, so you can get some greenery in that way by heading there before or after a museum visit.

Heading south of Central Park into Midtown Manhattan will bring you to:

• Times Square
• Broadway and all its musicals and plays
• The Empire State Building (not so worth it I'd say, unless you want a great view of the NYC skyline) 
• The New York Public Library (fairly large and elegant inside)
• The Hell's Kitchen neighborhood to the west is good place to look for food
• The Nintendo New York store is here too (at/near Rockefeller Center)
• The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
• The Museum of Sex🙄

 

Going yet further south brings you into Lower Manhattan you can find some museums there. Namely the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, and the One World Trade "Freedom Tower" skyscraper. Wall Street and the New York Stock Exchange are located here. You can cross the famed Brooklyn Bridge by car or on foot if you want into Brooklyn (with a nice museum and botanic garden there I've yet to visit). Lower Manhattan is where you'll find the ferries to get to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.

Heading north of Manhattan into the Bronx for the New York Botanical Garden is another option for pretty greenery in NYC. I forget, but April-May might have been the time I went and the roses were on bloom.

 

----

I'm not as familiar with Philadelphia, but the compact Center/Old City has the historic stuff. Independence Hall and the National Constitution Center are the important things here. Franklin Court is here too, in honor of the founding father on the $100 bill who lived there, with his grave on view.

Center City has the Museum of the American Revolution. And within five-hundred steps of it is the tiny but free Science History Institute to provide variety for your museum diet of the day. The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University exists if you want to spend money for a bigger science museum.

For another quickie, try the Rodin Museum, it's the second-largest collection of sculptures by Auguste Rodin in the world (only Paris has more). If you're coming with friends, tell them you'll meet them at the Gates of Hell- the bronze sculpture at the building's entrance. If you'd like a big art museum, then the Philadelphia Museum of Art is a drive that isn't too far away.

For food, if you're going local, then you should consider a Philly cheesesteak, Pat's or Geno's south of Center City are the big two names. But, there is no shortage of cheesesteak eateries in Philadelphia, just pick one that looks good. For a sweet desert, if you like milkshakes, the old-timey Franklin Fountain (again in Center City) has a delicious selection of them.

 

 

I've only been to Boston once, years ago, so I can't help you there. And if you're not into museums, well, ignore most of what I've said.😅

Edited October 18, 2019 by Interdimensional Observer

[MisterIceTeaPeach]

@Interdimensional Observer

Oh no, I absolutely like museums. The main reason to visit this area is - next to meet a few people of SF - to learn to know the area. 

I was in New York with my parents before in 1997. I visited the Central Park, Empire State Building and World Trade Center (maybe more idr), but of course they are part of my plan too (except for latter but it gives me the opportunity to visit ground zero).

 

I might drop Boston because it might be the case that I will go to Raleigh, North Carolina, instead because an online friend of mine who lives there who I like to meet there. So my route would be Raleigh - Washington - Philadelphia (?) - New York. 

[XRay]

If you want to see the Statue of Liberty for free, I highly recommend taking a ferry from Manhattan to Staten Island and back, as it passes by the landmark and you get a pretty good view of the Statue. If you want to go up close though, you will still have to pay I think.

If you are visiting Brooklyn, I do not think there is much we have to offer compared to Manhattan, but we have a really nice view of Manhattan's Financial District skyline at night from the Brooklyn Bridge Park.

On 10/18/2019 at 2:50 PM, Interdimensional Observer said:

-But, I don't advise putting too much on your plate. Your feet will otherwise hate you.

Yeah, D.C. is practically one huge museum. I would spend at least several days to a week here just to hit up all the museums you like. If you are only interested in only one or two museums, I think 2 or 3 days might be enough, but if you want to explore several museums like I do and walk around the National Mall (this took me a whole day of walking), you probably want something closer to a week.

On 10/18/2019 at 2:50 PM, Interdimensional Observer said:

Speaking of feet bleeding, if you go to New York City and are thinking about "the Met"- the Metropolitan Museum of Art (not the opera house), don't try to schedule any other museums for the day. The place is colossal, with everything imaginable. The just as famed American Natural History Museum is similarly large. For a smaller, not so grand option, consider the New York Historical Society.

I highly recommend this place. I suggest going alone and splitting the visit into two days if you want to take your time through the museum. There is so much stuff I want to just stare at for a few minutes, especially in the medieval weapons and armor area; that area alone took me at least an hour just for me to see and absorb everything.

 

[Interdimensional Observer]

14 hours ago, XRay said:

There is so much stuff I want to just stare at for a few minutes, especially in the medieval weapons and armor area; that area alone took me at least an hour just for me to see and absorb everything.

I'll assume you're familiar with the Cloisters then? I lucked out on a cloudy, yet warm and dry day when I visited there several springs ago. The garden wasn't weren't in full bloom, but it was growing. And, I arrived on a day that happened to have multiple tours, of which I partook of three, including one dedicated to the history medieval brewing.

The first (well second, excluding a school field trip) time I went to the Met, we went up an elevator and found ourselves in the Middle East section, where our eyes were drawn to some beautifully calligraphed Qurans. I find Christian Books of Hours just as magnificent. As was the rest of the museum of course.

And, any visitor has to check the American Art wing for that classic Washington Crossing the Delaware. As historically inaccurate as it is, the sheer size of painting lends it something that can only be felt and appreciated in person.

[XRay]

2 hours ago, Interdimensional Observer said:

I'll assume you're familiar with the Cloisters then? I lucked out on a cloudy, yet warm and dry day when I visited there several springs ago. The garden wasn't weren't in full bloom, but it was growing. And, I arrived on a day that happened to have multiple tours, of which I partook of three, including one dedicated to the history medieval brewing.

I do not think I was at the Cloisters. I was at the main Met museum, and they had armors and weapons on display on the ground floor I think. Even though I went the Met two or three times, I still do not think I finished exploring the whole museum yet, since I spent a lot of time on the upper floors exploring art from around the world. I did not find out they had armor and weapons until I browsed downstairs on my second or third visit.