You only have four weekends left before Labor Day, and the unbearable elements of the New York City summer (namely, escalating temperatures and tourists) are reaching a fever pitch. While your fancy Manhattan friends are hitting up the Hamptons, everyone else seems to be trekking to the Jersey Shore to escape the heat and ever-present eau de rotting garbage, why don’t you try out a new kind of getaway?

Don’t escape to a crowded, snobby beach. Hit up the Hudson Valley for their excellent farms and wineries, or rent a car and drive up to the Berkshires for antiques and contemporary art. Or, give into your baser needs and head to the highly-air-conditioned (and high-end) gambling houses of Atlantic City. Here, we’ve selected four weekend getaways that’ll let you leave the city and your frantic state of mind behind:

The Partiers - Atlantic City
Sure it’s cheaper to go to Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods, but those new casinos come nowhere near to matching the history, debauchery, and grimy beauty of Atlantic City. The gambling mecca was plagued by poverty and crime from the early '60s until the '90s, but is now experiencing a major rebirth. The past five years have seen the opening of the elegant Borgata casino, the arrival of countless restaurants by well-known celebrity chefs, and substantial financial investment into the area. The once-frightening, vice-ridden city is now a place for the good kind of vice—drinking, gambling, and late-night dancing. And, just like in Vegas, you can find plenty of luxurious hotels with moderately expensive to downright exorbitant rates, unless of course you hit the jackpot. Additionally, the stage shows continue to attract bigger and better names (think Beyoncé, Al Green, Beastie Boys), so it’s even a good place to catch a show that was sold out in New York.
Distance from New York: 127 mi – about 2 hours, 19 minutes
2 nights stay: $425 (Super 8, Days Inn, etc.) - $860 (Borgata, Taj Mahal Trump, Hilton)

Artists and Antique Lovers – Berkshires
If you’re tired of the New York art scene and have already been to PS1 more times than you care to remember, get a change of scenery and check out the cutting-edge installations at the Museum of Contempory Art (MoCA) in western Massachusetts. The sheer space—the MoCA’s 25 buildings take up 13 acres of land—allows for installations on a scale that the Gagosian and the MoMA in New York wouldn’t dream of accommodating, and the peaceful Berkshires area offers a goldmine for avid antique collectors. Stay at the MoCA-run hotel Porches Inn for a taste of both modern and country influences. Located in an old farmhouse, each room features a different theme and is decorated with pieces from the art center. Right over the Vermont border you’ll find one of the best breakfasts in the northeast at the Blue Benn Diner, a gold mine of antique shops, ample hiking, and smaller art galleries and museums. And, if you have time, nearby Tanglewood is the Boston Symphony Orchestra home for the summer and they hold excellent performances every weekend.
Distance from New York: 172 mi – about 3 hours 50 minutes
2 nights stay: $470-$720 depending on room

Wine lovers, Boaters and History Buffs – Newport
Though many travelers are well aware of the vineyards in Napa and even the Finger Lakes region, very few think of Rhode Island as a wine lover’s destination. However, the area around Newport boasts a number of small family-run vineyards selling wine that are just starting to earn acclaim for wine critics and oenophiles. And, if wine isn’t your thing, Newport has miles of beautiful beaches, sailboat charters, yacht races, and a large historic center. Countless aristocratic 19th-century families like the Vanderbilts and the Astors called Newport home during the summer and have left behind remarkably vast and elegant mansions, now open to visitors. The lodging options around here range from affordable country B&Bs to more opulent Vanderbilt-style hotels.
Distance from New York: 181 mi – about 3 hours 37 minutes
2 nights stay: Anywhere from $400 for a B&B to $1400 for the ultra luxurious Chanler at Cliff Walk
Newport Inns
Greenvale Vineyards

Nature/Farm Enthusiasts - Sprout Creek Farm
Sprout Creek Farm, an innovative farm and education center in LaGrange, NY, sits two hours outside NYC and offers more than your usual weekend getaway spot. Learn how to make their delicious cow-and-goat’s-milk cheese, sample their savory home-grown pork, and meet the goats, chickens, cows, and piggies that live on the grounds. Sprout Creek rents out a cozy three-bedroom cottage complete with kitchen, dining room, and a den with a fireplace right on the premises. Depending on what kind of getaway you want, they will either leave you to your own devices or include you in the farm’s daily activities and tours. The Hudson Valley area boasts quaint restaurants, wineries, theaters and shops in case of restlessness.
Distance from Manhattan: 76.7 mi – about 1 hour 42 minutes
2 nights stay at the Cottage: $400

~Amanda Kludt