The lazy days of summer are upon, and there’s no better time to sit back and relax on a porch with a view. Meet three hotels with Insta-worthy porches and picture-perfect verandas. From people watching to stargazing to enjoying salty harbor air, pull up a chair in style. Best of all, you don’t need a car to enjoy these views as the following hotels are easy to reach via public transportation. Sipping an al fresco cocktail never looked so good.
Baron’s Cove, Sag Harbor, NY
Best porch for: Harbor views
Situated directly in front of the harbor, this Sag Harbor retreat offers several outdoor seating options including a veranda with its own wood-burning fireplace and a restaurant terrace overlooking the harbor. The coziest seat in town is on a rocker on Baron’s Cove’s charming front porch, located directly in front of the water to best capture those harbor breezes. Baron’s Cove’s front porch greets guests upon arrival and is a popular hangout for both locals and guests to enjoy a morning coffee, pre-dinner cocktail or catch up on summer reading.
Get here: Ride the Hampton Jitney From Manhattan and you’ll be in the heart of Sag Harbor in two and one-half hours.
Virginia Hotel, Cape May, NJ
Best porch for: People watching
An impeccably restored 1879 landmark building, The Virginia Hotel and its front porch set the standard for luxury in Cape May, NJ. Nestled on a tree-lined street in the heart of historic Cape May and just a half a block from the Atlantic Ocean, The Virginia Hotel’s front porch is one of the most popular seats in Cape May. A prime location for people watching after a day splashing in the surf, guests can have a seat and enjoy artisanal cocktails and exquisite small plates from the hotel’s popular restaurant, The Ebbitt Room.
Get here: Ride the bus to Atlantic City, where you’ll switch to New Jersey Transit bus #552 to Cape May. The entire journey clocks in at 5 hours.
Kingsmill Resort, Williamsburg, VA
Best veranda for: History buffs and culinary geeks
Kingsmill Resort’s James Landing Grille is a scenic spot is where family and friends gather to enjoy fresh, locally-sourced cuisine, while enjoying the beautiful Virginia sunsets over the historic James River. Open seasonally, the James Landing Grille is the only riverfront dining experience in Williamsburg. The resort is just a short distance from Colonial Williamsburg, so get ready to dabble in pre-Revolutionary Americana.
Get here: Take Amtrak’s Northeast Regional from Penn Station to Williamsburg in seven hours.
Images: Cape Resorts and Kingsmill Resort
Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributes travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She is fluent in Italian and Spanish and laughably adequate in French. Her background as an Early Childhood Educator gives her an added understanding of what it takes to travel with kids in tow. She firmly believes that the most important part of education takes place outside of the classroom, on the road, around the world. She never misses a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. Follow Allison at @gourmetrav.
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin. 
Allison was one of our first top writers and Chief Editor but is no longer working with offMetro. Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributed travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She never missed a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. 
Josh Laskin is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When he is not at work or on the road, you can find him in the mountains snowboarding, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and eating bagel bites.
Annie is a travel writer, environmentalist, and surfer based in Venice, CA. She heads up our West Coast team, keeps our grammatical errors in check, and makes sure our California writers always have a plan for their next adventure. Follow Annie’s travels @annelisemcb.
Carly Pifer is a freelance writer who has been known to follow whims inspired by romantic movie scenes or colorful street style shots to India, Japan, Tunisia and Argentina. After stints living in Seoul, Boston, Paris and Los Angeles, writing and searching for something intangible, she landed somewhat steadily in Brooklyn and has begun to find inspiration in her more immediate surroundings. 
Kate E. O’Hara is a New York based freelance writer and photographer who loves all things food—especially the people who make it and market it. Her writing aims to capture the essence of the food experience; the stories that go well beyond a plate of ingredients. In addition to her love of food, Kate is also known to have a hankering for red wine and craft beer. You can also find Kate on Instagram