Mrs Piper and I may have to go to the eastern US next year in the spring for a family matter, and would likely want to stay for a while doing the tourist thing. Would only have time for one major city.
So, of New York, Boston and Washington, which would the Dopers recommend and why?
I’ve been to all three, briefly, and Mrs Piper has never been to any of them.
We’re both interested in history and politics, so there’s a lot to see in Boston and Washington that appeals to me. We’re both interested in theatre and the arts, which suggests New York. Mrs Piper likes shopping, but I would have thought that all three would offer resources in that regard…
thanks for the reminder. I’ve heard about the Festival, but I would have thought it would be later in the year - up here, March and early April are the season of snow and mud and sunshine, all on the same day.
As a former (and current) resident of all three cities who loves politics and history and walking around, I’d recommend DC. It’s the warmest (which at that time of year is good–summer, not so much), it’s compact (if you stick to the NW area, which you will), and it has the cheapest taxicabs and museums (thanks to subsidies by US taxpayers). If you get to NYC, though, PM me and I’ll show you around lower Manhattan, if you like.
You will still want to take some warm clothes to D.C. The weather can be in the 80s or in the 40s. You never know. But Washington is so much fun. You never run out of things to do!
It’s hard to answer without knowing which month of the spring you mean. It will almost certainly be snowy in March in Boston, maybe in April too. But by late May/early June it will as often as not be almost as hot as it will be during the summer.
If you can catch it during the right moment, Boston spring is unbeatable. There is one week where every plant in the state of Massachusetts bursts into full flower. Having lived around the equator most of my life, the spring in Boston was awe-inspiring. Too bad it always seemed to happen during final exams.
I have only been to NYC once but I don’t imagine you would be enjoying the weather or the outdoors while you were there. Of course there are parks but they’re not the city’s main draw. Only been to DC once too, and found it… a little dry in comparison. The Smithsonian is great, don’t get me wrong, but I think Boston is more condusive to the meandering exploration of history. I spent days going through Boston graveyards, reading headstones – some set into the brick walls that were later built up around them, some next to subway vents. It was a very moving experience to have so much history surrounded by so much mundane day-to-day life. The Freedom Trail is very doable solo, if you’re not into the guided tour thing – I’m not, and loved it.
And of course there are fun springtime touristy activities like the swan boats, duckboat tours, tea clipper rides around the harbor, etc. The weather stays very mild through the spring and summer, and when it’s warm, all the mosquitos get blown inland to New Jersey.
eta: there are trains and chinatown buses between Boston and NYC for very reasonable fares, so it’s quite possible to make a day trip or two from one to the other. I suspect you’d find Boston hotels a bit cheaper in that case.
