Who Needs a New England Vacation When You Can Just Go to Luke’s Lobster Instead? 

New England has some things that even us skeptical New Yorkers can appreciate. Ignore all the sports fans and the Wahlbergs and take a look at the region’s coastal and waterfront areas: they do breezy beachside right. That said, Cape Cod is a long drive (and still pretty chilly this time of year), so instead, consider experiencing the glory of New England summer right here in Lower Manhattan. 

The downtown location of Luke’s Lobster (26 S. William St.) might be squeezed in among tall buildings and parking garages, but the restaurant will transport you right to the New England shore: its interior looks just like a coastal lobster shack, with wood paneling and nautical paraphernalia lining the walls. It’s a good place to prep summer just as the temperatures start to warm up (which, again, happens faster here than in actual Cape Cod, which is still shaking off its winter chill), where you can grab a lobster roll, crab roll, shrimp roll or even a flight of lobster rolls, and pair them with some Cape Cod chips or slaw. 

And while downtown’s Luke’s Lobster isn’t right on the Atlantic, it is just a few blocks from the Manhattan waterfront, which means you can take those rolls to-go and enjoy them alongside a gentle waterside breeze while thinking of the joyous summer to come — all without having to brave I-95.