5 Affordable and Small Beach Towns That Will Take You Back in Time

Hammondsport, New York

If you’re a big fan of the Gilmore Girls, you already know that one of the most essential elements of the fictional small-town setting of Stars Hollow is its town square, gazebo included.

Well, that’s precisely the setup in Hammondsport, located on the southern tip of Keuka Lake. This “turn-of-the-century bandstand gazebo” even has live bands throughout the summer months.

The town square is surrounded by beautiful historic structures from the early 19th and 20th centuries. And visitors can stay and eat at The Park Inn, the oldest place on the square, initially constructed in 1828 and has served as a tavern and inn since 1861.

We also highly recommend having breakfast or ice cream at Crooked Lake Ice Cream Company, where you can still grab a cone at the historic wooden bar.

Once you’re done taking a stroll around the downtown area of this small beach town and wandering along side streets looking at Victorian-era homes, don’t miss what the Finger Lakes are genuinely famous for: Wine!

Hammondsport is the birthplace of growing grapes and winemaking throughout the Finger Lakes, where Reverend William Bostwick cultivated the first vineyard in 1829.

And Pleasant Valley Wine Company was the nation’s first bonded winery in 1863. It’s still in operation, and visitors to this small beach town can tour it and its remarkable historic buildings.