Nicest New York State New England charm towns?

[rubygreta]

Forget Callicoon and Narrowsburg. Too rural, too isolated and too boring. Try New Paltz in Ulster County. It has a SUNY college, a nice downtown, and the best countryside. You will be very pleased.

[Ham Sandwich]

Cazenovia, most defintely. Go to the chamber of commerce web site, or the "Lorenzo" web site (it's an historic place located on the lake, so there will be lots of photos.) Cazenovia looks like something out of a "Currier and Ives" print, with lots of activities in the summer (British Auto Show, Trotter Competition, Jazz and Classical Festivals), and winter (the local college has a theatre--Cummings Theatre) and there are numerous activities sponsored by the community. It's also nestled in rolling hills, with several small ski mountains in the vicinity. There are near by water falls (Pratts Falls, Chittenengo Falls) and Rt 13, which was voted one of the most beautiful roads in America to catch the Fall colours. Rt. 13 winds and twists between rugged hills, up to the little berg of Chittenengo, which boasts of it's native son, Frank Baum, writer of "The Wizard of Oz." Bothe these little towns (and of course all the nearby ones as well) have old fashioned parades in the summer, and pancake breakfasts at the local fire department...One even gets to vote down at the firehouse.

Of all the towns in the area, Cazenovia reminds me most of Dorset VT., or Manchester Vt. A quaint village, which from the visial outset appears to be located in time at the year 1880.

Cazenovia is vibrant in its arts and culture (though limited--recall, this is a very small place!) but still powerful enough to fight the onslaught of big industry. Walmart tried to come into the town a few years ago--residents were able to stop them, by holding their own and banning together. All in all, a fantastic "New England" style place, and you should research it.

[gdowler]

where would you rank Hudson, New York for quaint upstate town?

[NYREIA]

I haven't been to Hudson in a while but they say it's greatly revitalized and turned itself into the antique town. I do know it gets several visitors from downstate almost on a weekly basis.

I'd add the following towns to this list.

If you want real small Greenwich in Washington County.
If you want larger I'd list Saratoga Springs although this is bordering on Suburbia now.

Chatham might also make the small town list.

Moderator cut: realtor soliciting

[chrisruns2far]

I'm partial to the many fine small Finger Lake towns. The countryside is very nice, a lot of outdoor recreation of every kind and middle-class folks can still afford to live there.

I like the following small 'New England-style towns' in no particular order:

Canandaigua
Seneca Falls
Geneva
Skaneateles
Penn Yan

There are other small population towns that dot the CNY and WNY region that are nice and quaint as well.

[ckhthankgod]

Clinton, Hamilton, Sackets Harbor, Aurora......

[sweetpea3829]

We just moved here from RI and are temporarily staying in Watkins Glen. While perhaps not as "new englandy" it is nevertheless a breathtaking community.

[ss58yy]

Millbrook

[zonababe]

Rhinebeck, the town where Chelsea Clinton was married.

[Dusty Rhodes]

Well on the northern side of Lake Champlain about 65 miles north of Ticonderoga is the quaint little village of Westport, nice, friendly, good people but...it does tend to have a prolonged winter, if you believe that landscapes should be white, and lakes should be a part of the roadway system for at least 4 months out of the year and the snow won't melt until May, it may be your paradise.