My husband and I (from Philly) love New England and are thinking of making Newport our next vacation spot this july or August. We%26#39;ve never been, so I%26#39;m looking for some advice on the following topics.
1. Bed %26amp; Breakfast or Hotel?- Whichever, we%26#39;d like to be in an area close to restaurants, shopping, etc...basically the heart of the place and walking distance to things. And we prefer at least 4 star.
2. We love to eat GOOD food, so we are looking for a few suggestions, especially for lobster. Also, we came across awesome roadside lobster huts in Maine. Any of those in the Newport area??
3. General description of Newport and people in July/August. Busy? Family crowd? Will we be able to find a room easily now?
4. Is there a nightlife? We love a good bar scene.
5. Shopping?
6. Places that are a must see. Even if it involves driving or ferry.
Thanks so much. I realize most of this has been posted somewhere in the forum, but reading all of it has become so overwhelming, I needed it simplified.
Is Newport right for us??
1- Depends on what you like. Some people don;t like the intimacy of B%26amp;B%26#39;s and prefer Hotels. The major Hotels are the Mariott, Hyatt and Newport Harbor Hotel, and The Viking. All of them have 4* accomodations, and some of them have 3* accomodations (Smaller rooms, less desireable views etc.) Higher End places are the Chandler and Inn at Catle Hill.
2- Lots of good food in Neweport. Everything from finer dining, to pub style menues. On the nicer end: The Mooring, Clarke Cooke House, 22 Bowens, Asterisks, @the Deck. All of those places will have some sort of Lobster dishes that you%26#39;ll pay market price for. No real roadside clamshacks in Newport itself, but there are some more casual places over in Middletown, Flo%26#39;s Clam Shack and Anthony%26#39;s Seafood.
3- Busy with families, young single 20-30-40-50 somethings. You can find a room, but $ might be an issue. Check out www.gonewport.com for more info on what to expect in town.
4- Yes, it%26#39;s been called a drinking town with a sailing problem.
5- Yes, plenty of small shops along Thames St and the wharfs to peek in to.
6- The Mansions, The Cliff Walk, Ocean Drive, Thames Street shopping, eating and drinking, Wharfs for the same.
Is Newport right for us??
Hi Silbella-
Newport is great - a truly wonderful New England seaside city! I wish I could go back and be a newbie again-
1) Stay at the Hotel Viking (downtown) - it%26#39;s a very nice hotel and easy walking distance to bars/restaurants. Be sure to get a room in the new wing (older rooms have allowed dogs in the past and they%26#39;re more run-down). It%26#39;s a very fine old hotel (Jackie O stayed there!)
2) There is lobster available, but if you%26#39;re in Rhode Island the food to eat is clams (lobster is the very best in Maine). One great place (very good lobster if you must have it) is Bowen%26#39;s Bar and Grille on Bowen%26#39;s Wharf - awesome views of the harbor and outside seating. Brick Alley Pub is also excellent (they have seafood plus lots of other great items on the menu).
3) Newport in the summer is very busy. Both families and singles go to Newport. I%26#39;d definitely book now, though.
4) There%26#39;s a great nightlife scene in Newport - especially in the summer. I%26#39;m from CT and we%26#39;d ride up there all the time to party!
5) Don%26#39;t know about shopping - not much of a shopper - I defer to others.
6) Must dos? Definitely: Cliff Walk, all the Mansions, go on a cruise (boating is a big thing in Newport). If you love to party and you%26#39;ve got a little extra time, plan a trip to nearby Block Island. There are ferries out of Point Judith all day long and you could easily spend a full day (and night up until the last ferry returns) there. The downtown is lively and there are tons of great bars including Ballards and the National. Here%26#39;s a link detailing a road trip that stops in Newport. Some suggestions/pointers: planning-fun-road-trips.com/east-coast-road-…
You%26#39;re going to LOVE Newport - it%26#39;s one of my favorite places...
Have fun!
Tara
Thank you both for the info. -very helpful. Just one more question. Where exactly is downtown Newport? Street names are fine. This will help in finding a place to stay. I think we will do a B%26amp;B or an Inn. Any suggestions downtown would be appreciated also. Thanks again.
Th heart of downtown is Thames Street and Spring St. from Washington Sq south to Memorial Blvd, plus all of Bellevue. There are also plenty of shops along Lower Thames all the way to Wellington. Don%26#39;t forget, Newport is the original City by the Sea.