New York State Travel Answers

Here is a little bit to get you started. I will first of all let the people who live in the area give you what festivals are going on during that time of year. Your forum heading is New York State. New York State is obviously a fairly large state and temperatures and weather conditions can vary a bit from the Northern part near Canada and the Southern part which includes the New York City area. I have been in the NYC area in September and the weather there is generally like the Chicago area where I live. There is a possibility for some hot weather but generally speaking I would say temperatures anywhere from 50 to 80 degrees F is more the norm that time of year. If you get a chance go up the Hudson River Valley which is just slightly north of NYC. You can drive or even take the train up that way. I spent part of a day a few years back in Cold Spring, NY which I really enjoyed. Nature, nice main street, nice shops and restaurants right along the Hudson Bay near West Point Academy. Mid-September is probably a bit early for autumn leaf changes even in the Boston area. Fall doesn't actually begin until September 21 or 22 so unless you go very far north into Maine you probably won't see much in the way of fall colors in mid-Sept. I'll leave other answers to other VTers. Have fun!

As mentioned mid-Sept is a bit early. Typically early to mid Oct is the best of fall colors in New England (and NY). Weather can be quite changable. I may be still warm but plan for cool evenings. That said if "Indian Summer" begins early it actually could remain warm. Or, it could be cool so watch the weather patterns as your travel time nears. After the first weekend of Sept, (the traditional end of the summer season) most tourist venues could be closed. Some do remain open during Sept but I'd check ahead. "Visit some surrounding cities or states"... Keep in mind that it is quite a distance between the states in some cases. From NYC you can easily visit New Jersey, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. BUT these are not quick "day trips" unless you plan for a very long day. Over night trips would be much easier if you plan to see the countryside. Depending on what part of NY you are starting from, Boston is about a 3+ hour trip by car. It is definitely worth the trip as there are many historic venues to experience.

Al, what do you mean that most tourist venues could be closed? I don't think NYC shuts down. LOL

After Labor Day, many of the resorts and tourist attractions, at least were I lived, take that time to close as school has started, the tourst "season" is considered over and hunting has not yet begun to get people out on weekends. It was like turning a switch; full blast Labor Day weekend, completely dead the following weekend with nothing going on. I chose "could" as the verb as things change but they definitely should check before going places that are considered "tourist attractions" at that time of year. I always liked it as there was not as much traffic and weather was usually still pretty good.

What part of NYS are you looking to visit??

I visited NYC (but not the rest of the state) in mid September a few years ago. It poured with rain my first day then was warm and sunny (20s C) for the next week. Whatever you wear, have a spare pair of shoes. Mine literally fell apart from all the walking. As one touristy activity I recommend Ellis Island (former immigration centre near the Statue of Liberty, now a free museum). And there is an interesting walking tour of Grand Central station at 12.30 on Wednesdays. L

Thanks for the answers, it's very insightful. Are there regular train services to surrounding states? Or would domestic flights be better? If I was to stay in NY state, where else is good to visit apart from NY city? I'm not sure whether to spend my time exploring the state or if I should split it between NYC and, say, Chicago or Boston for example. I may come a bit later, in oct, if that's when the Fall colours really cove alive!

NYC to Boston is accessible by train, but keep in mind train travel in the US is not as convenient as it is in Europe. Boston is definitly a must see city. The historic sites that can be seen on the Freedom Trail walk I always enjoy and I lived there for many years.

New York City to Chicago you would want to fly.