Surprisingly Rural. The main reason to vacation in the suburbs is the reason you never considered it before. There are many pockets around New York City that are surprisingly rural within just one hour of Manhattan. You can easily find a lake house set on acres of land with nary a view of a neighbor within the confines of Northern Westchester and Putnam Counties.

Commutability. Although many families happily separate for the summer, with one spouse heading to the country and the other staying in the city to work, it doesn't have to be that way. With a suburban retreat, working in the city and coming home to the country every night is doable.

Amenities. Summer camps, activities, gourmet food shops, good restaurants... Most of the things you are used to having in the city can be found close by in the suburbs as well, without a lot of driving.

Convenience. Unlike the real country which requires lots of driving to get to anything, city folks may appreciate being in a slightly more densely populated area, which means more things closer together and less driving.

Cost. Check out craigslist and HomeAway.com and you'll find a range of prices for just about every budget from a rustic cabin for a few thousand dollars for the entire summer to beautiful, big lakefront houses for $5000 per week with many of the lake houses around $2000 per week.

Vacationing in the suburbs lets you have your cake and eat it too. Find a house that feels like the country when you are sitting by the lake, pool or out on the back deck, but pull your car out of the driveway find yourself five minutes from everything you need, plus close enough to the city to make daily commuting possible.