Skaneateles is the Finger Lakes town that looks like it belongs on a postcard — and knows it. The village sits at the northern tip of Skaneateles Lake, which is consistently ranked among the cleanest lakes in the United States and serves as a public water supply so pure it requires no filtration. The main street, Genesee Street, runs down to the waterfront with a lineup of boutique shops, galleries, and restaurants that give the whole place a distinctly polished, New England-village feel. It is beautiful in a way that is almost intimidating, until you spend a few hours there and realize it is also genuinely welcoming.

The lake is the main event. Skaneateles Lake boat cruises have been running for over a century, offering narrated trips that show off the shoreline mansions, wooded hillsides, and crystal-clear water from the best possible angle. The public pier and Clift Park provide waterfront access for swimming, picnicking, and simply watching the light change on the water. In winter, the village transforms into a holiday destination with Dickens Christmas — a weeks-long celebration featuring characters in Victorian costume, carolers, horse-drawn carriages, and a level of community participation that has to be seen to be believed.

Dining in Skaneateles tends toward the refined. This is a town where the restaurants take their wine lists seriously, where seasonal menus reflect real relationships with local farms, and where a lakeside dinner feels like an occasion. The Sherwood Inn, a historic inn and restaurant right on the waterfront, has been a local institution for over two centuries. Beyond the fine dining, you will find good bakeries, casual lunch spots, and ice cream shops that draw summer lines down the sidewalk.

Skaneateles occupies a particular niche in the Finger Lakes landscape. It is the eastern anchor of the region, closer to Syracuse than to the central wine country around Seneca and Cayuga Lakes. That geography means it attracts a slightly different crowd — more day-trippers from the east, more weekend visitors looking for a contained, walkable experience. It does not have the winery density of Seneca Lake or the outdoor adventure of Ithaca, but what it offers is a concentrated dose of small-town elegance that few places in New York can match.