New York state is dotted with thousands of scenic lakes, where, for generations, travelers have been seeking respite from busy urban life. After all, it has hidden gems like Green Lake and Round Lake, with water so blue you might think you’re in the Caribbean. And it also boasts the spectacular Finger Lakes area, which is home to neighborly cities and breathtaking scenery,
While these come with eye-popping price tags in many cases, if your budget doesn’t run in the millions, New York is also home to several communities where you could find your dream lake home for less than $200,000. One such place is Dunkirk.
The small town is located in Chautauqua County, the westernmost county in the state bordering Pennsylvania, and sits on the edge of Lake Erie, one of the largest Great Lakes. It is steeped in Native American and colonial history. Initially settled by the Iroquois tribes, Dunkirk was incorporated in the 1830s as a village, which grew after the completion of the New York & Erie Railway two decades later.
And while the area has remained predominantly rural — with roadside farms and Amish markets — Dunkirk’s downtown area has many shops, restaurants, beaches, a historic lighthouse, and a lakefront marina.
The town’s proximity to larger urban areas such as New York’s Buffalo and Rochester, as well as Cleveland, Ohio, also makes it an ideal weekend destination and an excellent option for a second home. Dunkirk can also be a wonderful winter getaway as the town is about an hour northwest of the village of Ellicottville and Holiday Valley Resort, which offers skiing, snowboarding, tubing, and snowshoeing facilities.
Because of the town’s long history — Dunkirk’s lighthouse and Dunkirk Schooner Site, a shipwreck archaeological site in Lake Erie, are on the National Register of Historic Places — potential buyers can find a range of architectural styles from “1800’s brick manor to an adorable little lakefront cottage,” according to Gotham.
