Crowds, extreme heat and $2,000 a night for a basic room in popular Mediterranean cities – what’s not to like about Europe in the summer? The shoulder season used to offer relaxation, but the secret is out. Expect crowds throughout the fall and holiday season.
But you don’t have to fly transatlantic to get a taste of the sweet life in the second half of the year. Below are six destinations in the tri-border region that are true treasures, offering plenty of European elegance without any of the stress.
Do you live in “Lesser Poland” in New Britain, Connecticut.
109 miles from NYC
In New Britain, just outside of Hartford, the inviting Little Poland neighborhood stretches along Main Street and into Broad Street.
Even if you narrowly missed this year’s Little Poland Festival in June, it’s almost better to have the shops, restaurants, churches and delis to yourself, minus the 30,000-plus strong crowd.
Be sure to visit Polish bakeries like Roly Poly Bakery, Kasia’s Bakery and Polmart. Say “słodkich snów” (sweet dreams) at an Airbnb in town itself (from just $87 per night) or amid the blue and ivory Federal colors of the Farmington Inn (from $149 per night), 15 minutes away in Farmington.
Enjoy the sun-drenched coast in Long branchNew Jersey
55 miles from NYC
Swap an overnight flight for a one-hour Seastreak ferry ride and enjoy a Mediterranean-inspired vacation at Wave Resort & Spa (from $540 per night).
Start your seaside vacation with dinner at Maya, where dishes like roasted octopus and porcini mushroom papardelle will transport you to Greece and Italy.
Or toast to avoiding jet lag and selfie sticks at the bar, the hotel’s new cocktail lounge—or at the swim-up pool bar overlooking the Atlantic. Best of all, this Pier Village beachfront hotel has just 67 rooms, so you can feel like Amalfi Coast royalty as you float from, say, a yoga class on the pool deck to DJ sets to s’mores on the beach.
Travel like a laid-back Scotsman to Washington, Connecticut.
70 miles from NYC
If you want to experience something reminiscent of the British or Scottish countryside, the rolling hills and quiet, winding country roads of Washington, Connecticut await. (And with its colorful history dating back to colonial times and steeped in Native American heritage, it rivals our neighbors across the pond.)
When you’re not moving from gallery to gallery, hiking or splashing around Lake Waramaug, you can base yourself at the Mayflower Inn & Spa, Auberge Resorts Collection (starting at $1,000 per night).
Nestled in 58 acres of sprawling gardens and soul-soothing woodland, spend time like a relaxed youngster in the gorgeous 20,000-square-foot Spa by the Well, complete with a greenhouse-like enclosed pool, traditional hammam and thermal bath surrounded by 400 plants. Or let loose on the miles of hiking trails or a few rounds of tennis before enjoying crab cakes and caviar with sangria, Sancerre or a cup of tea by the outdoor pool.
Experience the luxury of St. Tropez on Long Island North Coast
100 miles from NYC
Can’t take a yacht to the French Riviera this summer? Sure, East Hampton has Louis Vuitton and Prada stores like St. Tropez, but we’re voting for the North Shore in 2024.
Why, you ask? For one thing, you can feel like the stars and starlets without being stuck in traffic with them. Count sheep at Menhaden (from $409 per night) in Greenport, where you can book a private tour of the surrounding vineyards or pack a picnic for a sunset at 67 Steps Beach. As you admire the sun’s rays bathing the cliffs in their swirling glow, you’ll be wowed by this French Riviera knockoff. Bonus: You don’t need a passport to hop on a rented bike and leisurely pedal along the sea for some boutique-hopping in town or to charter a sailboat in Gardiner’s Bay.
Take a trip to Sunken Meadow State Park in Smithtown, known for its sandy beaches and calm waters. Or book a tour of OHEKA Castle in Huntington, where the glamour of the Roaring Twenties is everywhere, and you’ll make all your castle-hopping friends jealous (you can also stay overnight in the castle, which is often used as a backdrop for Hollywood movies, starting at $495 per night).
Sleep like a Swede in the treetops of White Lake, NY
110 miles from NYC
Sometimes you just want to stay in a treehouse. Experience a secluded Nordic atmosphere in the Catskill Mountains in one of the three newly opened treehouses (from $1,800 per night) at Chatwal Lodge.
If you’ve always dreamed of stargazing in Sweden, you’ll find the treetop-level views of Sullivan County absolutely breathtaking (the oversized windows make constellation-watching and rain-watching a dream). The decor—a mix of “found objects” like petrified wood and mango root tables, to chic chandeliers, to a minimalist fire pit on your private outdoor patio—is hygge at its finest.
As is the all-inclusive F&B program, which will delight you with hits such as Coq au Riesling and battered Beaverkill River trout.
Explore the Swiss-style village SpartaNew Jersey
45 miles from NYC
This Sussex County gem is located around Lake Mohawk, and the charming little town offers plenty of opportunity to enjoy some rest and relaxation against a backdrop of hills and countryside.
Less than a 10-minute drive from the lake, stay at the Whistling Swan Inn (from $135 per night), a delightful colonnaded-porch guesthouse that you’ll never want to leave. But you will—to explore sights like the lakefront boardwalk to White Deer Plaza, where there are shops, Pattycakes Bakery, Alpine Creamery, and cafes. The architecture in this area ranges from Tudor to English Cottage to German Baronial, giving you a sense of no worries in the world. And if you love old buildings, be sure to check out the Van Kirk Museum, an 18th-century Van Kirk family estate now filled with historic rooms like the Victorian parlor and Civil War bedroom.
Before you leave town, marvel at the top of the hiking trail at Sparta Glen Park (it’s located at the bottom of a fairly steep ravine) as if you were in the idyllic embrace of Switzerland, followed by Sparta’s Shack Ice Cream. With offerings like The Bagel Cream (a bagel filled with ice cream) or a Donutella Milkshake (ice cream mixed with Nutella and topped with a Nutella-covered donut), this is a distinctly American experience. But after chatting with your friends who just got back broke and tired from their transatlantic escapades, you’ll be happier than ever you stayed in the States.
