more here:Budget Travel Magazine is looking for the coolest of "America's Coolest Small Towns" and Watkins Glen, New York, has been named a finalist.
After 924 nominations and 96,605 votes, the town located in the Finger Lakes region made the list of 15 finalists for the publication's eighth annual "Coolest Small Town in America" contest. According to the contest criteria, the towns all have populations under 10,000 -- Watkins Glen has 1,859 residents; another finalist has just 138 people -- and have a certain something else to make it "cool," such as independent shops, culture or local attractions.
http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/ ... ravel.html
Although Watkins is great.. I spent a long weekend there in 2009 and underwhelmed with shopping/dining options to stuff a whole weekend--talking specifically within the village (the "town" is actually Montour). I guess if you consider it a hub for a greater Finger Lakes stay it's in a better position.
There's got to be plenty more places in NY alone that offers up more. Skaneateles being one that comes to mind.