The Jersey Shore’s much-maligned gambling town is finally shedding its dumpy reputation.

Long Island’s easternmost village has the same ocean views, sandy beaches, and fresh-fish obsession as the Hamptons. With one difference: You don’t need tons of cash to enjoy them.

The spa-centric city slashes rates starting in June, making the Vegas-style pools, organic body treatments, and chic restaurants a lot more affordable.

The Texas oil metropolis has emerged as an international art destination with a suddenly hip (yes, hip) museum district.

Skip the kitsch by the falls and head instead to Niagara-on-the-Lake, where old-world charms meet pretty bike paths and a burgeoning wine scene.

With its rugged beauty and bohemian vibe, the coastline south of Monterey, California, represents the antithesis to urban living. Think tree-house hotels, kelp forests, and coed, naked hot springs.

Long Island’s less-posh fork harvests much more than potatoes and corn these days. Its 30-plus vineyards and Slow Food–minded dining scene offers a tasty alternative to the Hamptons.

The 400-mile drive provides an intimate look at all that is southern, from roadside tamale stands to rib shacks, courtly plantations to sweat-soaked blues dives.

Whether you like your thrills on wheels, trails, or rocks, there’s much fun to be had in the crags of the Shawangunk Mountains just 90 miles north of Manhattan.

A spate of renovations to hotels, restaurants, and old-fashioned main streets has given Connecticut River Valley towns like Essex, Ivoryton, and Chester a much-needed dose of modernity.