Skaneateles is a small village of about 2,500 people on the northern tip of Skaneateles Lake, one of the Finger Lakes in central New York State. It is one of the most attractive and prosperous small towns in the region — a tight grid of Federal and Greek Revival buildings in the historic district, a pleasant waterfront park (Clift Park), and a compact main street of shops and restaurants that can be walked end to end in minutes. The lake itself, one of the cleanest in New York State, is long and narrow and stunning.
Summer weekends pack the village with day-trippers from Syracuse (30km north-east). Off-season — particularly autumn, when the colours are extraordinary — Skaneateles is far more enjoyable. The Skaneateles Festival brings chamber music in July and August; Dickens Christmas is a Victorian-themed celebration in December. The Mid-Lakes Navigation mailboat runs down the lake most mornings in summer, and the Finger Lakes wine country begins right on the doorstep at Anyela's Vineyards.