9 New York Towns That Will Make You Feel Like You're Living In A Fairytale

There's a certain kind of excitement to city life, but there's also something uniquely special about living in a charming small town. When people think of New York, their mind often pictures Manhattan, with its energetic atmosphere and towering skyscrapers. However, beyond the city lights, the Empire State is full of storybook towns and villages that will make you feel like you're living out your very own fairytale. While they might not have talking animals or spellbinding potions, their whimsical quality will make everyday life feel a little more extraordinary. 

Whether you dream of being surrounded by stunning castles dating back centuries or you want to live next to enchanting forests in a home that's straight out of The Lord of the Rings, there's no shortage of wonder to be found across New York. With fall officially here — a season that turns much of the state a magical shade of gold and red — it's the perfect time to explore all it has to offer. We've come up with a list of nine New York towns — from quiet villages with historic roots to magnificent mountain and lakeside escapes — that are sure to make you feel like you've stepped into a fairytale. 

A beautiful blend of old and new, New Paltz — nestled in the picturesque Hudson Valley, one of the best places to see fall foliage in 2025 — has all the makings of a fairytale town. Scenic woodland trails and a collection of historic stone houses built by the French Huguenot settlers in the 1700s set a storybook scene, while the breathtaking Mohonk Mountain House — a Victorian-style castle perched on a glacial lake and now a resort and spa — adds a touch of magic. Once you've had your fill of history, the charming downtown is filled with cozy cafés and bookstores.

Not only does it share a name with Sleeping Beauty — one of Disney's oldest princesses — the darling village of Aurora has a fairytale feel thanks to its picturesque setting on Cayuga Lake, the longest lake in New York's Finger Lakes region. With fewer than 1000 residents and measuring less than one square mile, it has that cozy small-town spirit reminiscent of Stars Hollow, the quaint fictional town from Gilmore Girls. It's also home to the historic waterside Aurora Inn, built in 1833, and a small Victorian-era opera house, both of which add to the village's storybook charm.  

Historic elements are one of the key ingredients to making a town feel like a fairytale — and Kingston certainly doesn't fall short in that category. As the first capital of New York state during the American Revolution, Kingston's 17th-century roots give it an undeniably special character. Adding to its enchantment is Kingston's historic Uptown district, which is lined with colorful buildings that house independent boutiques, art galleries, and farm-to-table restaurants. Outdoor enthusiasts will also find their own fairytale elements here, thanks to the town's pretty bike paths and nearby Catskill Mountains.

Is there anything more fairytale-like than a castle that dates back to the early 1900s? Nestled in the heart of the Thousand Islands region of Northern New York, along the banks of the St. Lawrence River, Alexandria Bay is famous for its enchanting Boldt Castle. Fittingly located on Heart Island, the castle was built by American hotelier George C. Boldt, who designed it as a summer home for his wife. The town feels especially magical in the fall, when vibrant foliage creates a picturesque backdrop for the historic architecture.

While still beautiful in the fall thanks to its lush landscape, Lake George is what summer fairytale dreams are made of. Ideally located in the southern end of New York's Adirondack Park, this lovely town is full of magic thanks to its sparkling waters, colorful sunsets, and enchanting forests. Whether you like spending your weekends checking out charming antique shops and waterfront restaurants, or would rather a hike up to the famous Prospect Mountain for sweeping views of Lake George and its surrounding wilderness, this lakeside destination offers a storybook escape in every season.

It might be a small village with only about 4,000 residents, but Chittenango has a very special history as the birthplace of Lyman Frank Baum, author and creator of the iconic Wizard of Oz tale. To celebrate its connection to the beloved book-turned-film, the village is decorated with yellow brick sidewalks and is home to the All Things Oz Museum. The village also hosts an annual event called the OZ-Stravaganza! festival. If that's not enough to make Chittenango feel like a fairytale town, it also has its own namesake park, which boasts a magnificent 167-foot waterfall that looks as though it could have been pulled straight from a Disney movie.

Home to a lineup of historic mansions and estates — including one that inspired F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby — Sands Point is a small town on the North Shore of Long Island known for its Gilded Age architecture. The town's shining glory is the Sands Point Preserve — a 216-acre park that consists of gorgeous gardens and four striking granite mansions, including a castle — Castle Gould — which was built in 1902. A stroll around here will no doubt make you feel like a modern-day royal. 

If a French-inspired fairytale is what you're after, setting up camp in Cape Vincent — a charming riverside town nestled on the banks of the St. Lawrence — won't disappoint. The town has a strong French heritage thanks to the fact that it was home to French settlers in the 1800s, and residents celebrate it every summer with a weekend-long French festival complete with French food, music, art, and more. The town is also home to some majestic views and landscapes, including the Tibbetts Point Lighthouse, which marks the meeting point of the St. Lawrence River and Canada's Lake Ontario.

If whimsical waterfalls and enchanting forests are your idea of the perfect fairytale, then Watkins Glen in New York's Finger Lakes region is the place to be. The naturally stunning village is known for its namesake state park, where people from all over the world come to visit a magnificent gorge that's made up of 19 cascading waterfalls, moss-covered cliffs and bridges, and mesmerizing hiking trails that make you feel like you're living in a real-life wonderland. Located on the southern tip of Seneca Lake, the village also offers plenty of lovely lakeside dining options for you to cozy up in after a day of exploring outdoors.