There are many transit accessible day trips that are on your doorstep from Manhattan. Here are some of the best that we recommend that you check out on your own or via a planned trip by an experienced guide from Bobby’s City Tours.
Via the Subway
Woodlawn Cemetery and Neighborhood
It is hard to believe you are still in New York City. Explore the final places of rest for countless famous and ordinary New Yorkers. Many ornate mausoleums, chapels, and graves grace this wooded cemetery (it’s actually a recognized arboretum). After, take a short bus trip up to Woodlawn Heights, home to a vibrant Irish community.
Access: 4 train to Woodlawn or Metro North Harlem Line to Woodlawn Station.
Bobby’s City Tours Bronx Walking and Subway Tour
Bronx Little Italy
Considered New York’s “true” Little Italy, the Belmont neighborhood of the Bronx with its main thoroughfare, Arthur Ave, offers a great afternoon where you can sample Italian-American fare, shop in NY’s only bazaar, and enjoy the general ambience of the area.
Learn More: Bronx Little Italy
Access: 2 or 5 train to Pelham Parkway or Metro North Harlem Line to Fordham.
Bobby’s City Tours Bronx Little Italy Walking Tour
Via Commuter Train
Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown
The villages of Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown offer so much to do (you will probably need a full day for it). Tarrytown, is a charming village with excellent views of the Hudson and plenty of places to shop and eat. Sleepy Hollow has the historic Philipsburg Manor, the Old Dutch Church, and a small lighthouse which may be opening up to the public again. Also, autumn is the perfect time to explore the area made famous by Washington Irving (there are monuments and sites related to the Headless Horseman around the villages).
Learn More: Visit Sleepy Hollow
Access: take the Metro North Harlem Line to Tarrytown.
Bobby’s City Tours Sleepy Hollow Tour
Hudson Valley: Cold Spring and Beacon
Only an hour and a half train ride brings you to the Hudson Highlands, a beautiful region for hiking and visiting unique, charming places. Two of those places are Cold Spring and Beacon. Cold Spring is a picturesque village surrounded by mountains where you could shop at one of its antique shops. Beacon is a former industrial city that is now an artist haven with countless places to eat or try out craft brews.
Access: Metro North Hudson Line to Cold Spring and Beacon.
Bobby’s City Tours Hudson Valley Autumn Tour
New Haven
Located approximately 2 hours away via Metro North, New Haven has so much to offer. Culturally a bit of New England and New York, the city is the home of Yale University. Visitors have access to many of Yale’s buildings and can visit its world-renowned museums. New Haven is also home to a unique style of pizza (as well as its own Little Italy) as well as home to Louis’s Luncheonette, which claims to be the first place in the world to serve what we know as the hamburger (don’t ask for ketchup!)
Access: Metro North New Haven Line to New Haven station.
Bobby’s City Tours day trip coming soon!
Princeton
Located about an hour and 20 minutes from Penn Station via New Jersey Transit, Princeton is a charming, historical place with a lot to see. Here you are able to explore the grounds of Princeton University, see where Albert Einstein lived, and visit the historic downtown. The region around Princeton also offers much to do in terms of natural scenery.
Access: New Jersey Transit Northeast Corridor Line to Princeton Junction/Princeton.
Bobby’s City Tours day trip coming soon!
Maritime Aquarium
Located in Norwalk, CT (only about an hour and a half Metro North ride), the Maritime Aquarium is one of the three aquariums in the NYC metropolitan area. The aquarium is perfectly suited for families with about 75 exhibits and activities. While in Norwalk, check out its Main Street for great restaurants.
Access: take the Metro North New Haven line to South Norwalk.
Bobby’s City Tours 