New York - Boston - Washington

[charlotte]

Hi!
I am from germany. from 12th-26th october 2010 I will go on holiday in new york city, boston and washington dc. I am so excited. at the moment I write my final thesis at university and will finnish it at 30th september. as a reward a friend and me, we booked this awesome holiday! we already booked the flight and the hostels. now we are planning what to do and what to see.
so, please give me some advice where to go, what to visit besides the big tourist sights.
are there some cool shops with nerdy stuff to buy? some interessting cemetery? museums? parks? bars?

I am grateful for any help :)

[Eryforia Nogard]

Hey there! :D
I live near Washington, D.C., so I know the area well. First, you should tour around D.C. and visit all the monuments (Washington Monument/Pencil Tower, Lincoln Memorial, etc.) which will take up a whole day, usually. You should ride around, look at the major buildings (White House :P) and chill in the parks. If you've got another day, you sped through the monuments, or you skipped seeing them, you should have a look at some of the museums. Some are odd, but some are really cool, like the spy museum. I recommend going there, but it's going to cost a bit. There are so many cool things in there!
Other than that, I just recommend walking around D.C. I'm not a big fan of shopping, but if you are, then walk around a bit; you're bound to find some stores there that have amazing stuff. If you want information on anything, just ask, I can check for you. :) Have fun on your vacation!!! :D

[Jimmy Marcy-Johnston]

I also live very close to D.C.! Hoo hah, Nerdfighter!

The Spy Museum is awesome, I agree, but it's not cheap. Most of the Smithsonian museums are free, though! Here's a link for you: http://www.si.edu/museums/

Oh, and congrats on finishing your thesis!

[Eryforia Nogard]

Haha, epic! Hello, fellow Nerdfighter!

Yes, it's quite expensive, but it's amazing.

Also, about the transportation systems, my family doesn't travel much around the country by train. We usually go by plane, so I won't be much help. :/ Sorry.

[Captain Jacqui Sparrow]

I'm from a town near NYC, and was raised in the Bronx, so I know a bit about the City. I just got back from a 2-day (waaaay too short) vacation to DC. It was really cool. I need to go back. I spent a week in Boston last summer. Really interesting city.
Really good Italian restaurant in NYC is Tony's di Napoli. The food there is AMAZING. It's served family-style, so you get your money's worth. The fried zuccini there is definitely worth getting. You'll regret it if you don't. Also, Chinatown is worth checking out. It's worth spending a day there, I've been told. South Street Seaport is fun. They have cute shops and stands, and good views of the river. You can get stuff like crazy socks and purses made out of random recycled objects at some of the little stands, as well as pretty jewelry at cheap prices. If you go north an hour or two, you can go to the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. Really cool place. They have tours going. It's apparently haunted. If you know the story of Sleepy Hollow, going there should be pretty cool. The towns around Sleepy Hollow are cute, but very, VERY expensive lol. Central park is always nice to walk through. And next to it you'll find all sorts of cool museums. You probably know about the Guggenheim and the Met, but I suggest checking out the Frick Collection. They have a nice gallery there with some good variety. Also, if you like religious-themed art and things from the Renaissance and even moreso, the Dark Ages, going to the Cloisters is always good.
In DC, aside from the typical touristy things, check out the Spy Museum. It's awesome. Geargetown, the town right nearby, is greeeeat to walk in. Some shops there have really adorable things that you probably won't find elsewhere. It has your big name stores and a bunch of cutesy little boutiques. If you can, try to find a friend in America that will get you a meeting with their state's senator so you can get a tour of the Capitol that will actually get you into the Senate and House rooms, and can get you into the secret tunnels. It's a lot of work, but trust me, it's TOTALLY worth it.
Boston is nice. Very walkable city. I suggest just walking around it. If you take a tour, take the "Duck" tour. It takes you in water and on land, which is cool. If you're a history geek, you'll get a LOT out of Boston. They also have a HUGE science museum there. Last time I went to Boston, they had a whole exhibit on Harry Potter. I don't know if it's still up, but even if it's not, if you have a day to spend, or at least a few hours, go there.

[charlotte]

thank you both so much for your answers! I will definitly check all the stuff out!
I am sure to do the touristic sight seeing stuff, but it is nice to know some other places to go and to see.

so, how is the weather in october in nyc, washington and boston? cold and rainy?

[Eryforia Nogard]

In October, it actually depends. Usually when I go there, it's partly cloudy and kind of chilly, but it doesn't rain very much. I suggest you wear a light coat or something, maybe a long-sleeves shirt, and you'll be fine. However, with the climate change and all, make sure to bring an extra coat and possibly even a t-shirt, just in case the weather is randomly bad/ nice. :) Hope this helps!

[Captain Jacqui Sparrow]

NY's Octobers are great. Not toooo cold. Not exceptionally rainy. Kinda windy, and expect to wear jackets over t-shirts. You'll probably be in NY too early to see the leaves change, which is a shame, but the weather should be pretty good.

[OhHayKayTay]

I love Boston, I am from around there, and I go there all the time.
I just got back from spending the weekend, and let me tell you one thing. Take the Old Town Trolley Tour. It is the best, I learned so many things that I didn't know , and I lived there. Be prepared to walk, A LOT.

[charlotte]

I just can repeat myself: thank you so much for your advices! :)

I have another question: is there a good and cheap bus company with the routes: new york city - washington dc and boston - new york city? a friend told me megabus is good.

and still: all advices are wellcome :)

[Eystein,]

There's a china-bus, I think it's acctually called that, which runs between the China-towns of NYC and Boston, and probably DC too. It's very cheap, about 30 bucks, if I remember correctly, and takes about 4hours. Good standards too.

[OhHayKayTay]

It's called the Fung Wah. It is only connecting to New York and Boston I believe.

[Eystein,]

Fung Wah was the name, but it seems to be different operators so just search china bus, and you'll find it. $30 is for a roundtrip even.