Let’s face it: August in New York can be tough.
The heat typically rises. The humidity becomes stifling. At times — particularly on weekends — it can feel like the city has emptied out, as those with the means to do so throw on their out-of-office messages and decamp to second homes or rentals outside the city.
This newsletter being what it is, Julia and I will keep offering ideas for how to spend your August. You can always check out past newsletters for evergreen suggestions.
But even the most dedicated city dwellers can feel this inexorable pull toward elsewhere, or the need for a break from a routine. Enter the magic of the day trip: a quick journey to fulfill one’s wanderlust that offers the chance to be home in time to enjoy city nightlife.
Day trip options from the city abound, but I’m focusing this week on places you can get to without cars, because so many New Yorkers are vehicle-free. (Also, because you’ve emailed us and asked for these! And please, keep the thoughts coming to summerinthecity@nytimes.com.)
If the city’s beaches aren’t doing it for you, maybe Long Island’s will do the trick. Many of the beach destinations are accessible by the Long Island Railroad, perhaps none more than Long Beach, east of the Rockaways off Long Island’s southern shore, and just an hour from Penn Station.
The city’s beach and boardwalk are a fairly short walk from the train station. You’ll need to pay $15 for a beach pass, though the Metropolitan Transportation Authority offers ticket packages that include discounted admission. Weekends get crowded, but the streets are lined with cute bungalows that are a nice change of pace, and a number of businesses that keep beachgoers fed and hydrated.
Jones Beach and parts of Fire Island are also reasonably accessible via the L.I.R.R., but require an additional bus trip or ferry ride. Having done Fire Island as a day trip — it takes about three hours — my advice: plan ahead, check schedules ahead of time and bring snacks.
Just a bit south, the Jersey Shore, famous from Bruce Springsteen’s back catalog and a reality TV franchise, is also an easy trip by train. Asbury Park typically gets all the attention, but don’t sleep on Long Branch, about an hour-and-a-half from Penn Station on New Jersey Transit.
After Hurricane Sandy, the boardwalk and beach were rebuilt and restored, and there are a number of restaurants at varying price points that are mere feet from the Atlantic Ocean. Beach passes are $7 on weekends and $5 on weekdays.
Not a beach person? Greenport, on the North Fork of Long Island, is a charming waterfront village that offers incredible views, farm-to-table restaurants, local shopping, a century-old carousel and oysters so fresh you’ll wonder if they were just pulled out of the water. It also has a station on the Long Island Railroad, though the journey is just under three hours, so you’ll want to get an early start. (Pro tip: Nap on the train!)
For a bit of a hike, take the Metro-North Railroad from Grand Central Terminal to Garrison, N.Y., an 80-minute trip that largely travels along the Hudson River. The trailhead of the Arden Point and Glenclyffe hike is just by the station’s parking lot; from there, you’ll travel just under four miles, snaking past a waterfall and intriguing old ruins.
These are just a few ideas for day trips, and The New York Times has got more, as does the M.T.A. But the gist remains the same: spend a few hours out of town that will nourish you while also reminding you what it is you love about the big city.
