A one-square-mile village on the east bank of the Hudson River, Castleton-on-Hudson, New York pairs a historic Main Street, riverfront parks, and a rail-trail with real affordability minutes from Albany.

Antique carousels, a rising research university, a distinctive food culture, and real affordability have made Binghamton, New York one of the Southern Tier's most surprising comeback cities.

Birthplace of a president, likely origin of the word "OK," and now home to a world-class contemporary art gallery, Kinderhook, New York packs astonishing history and culture into a village of barely 1,200.