7. Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Picturesque Saratoga Springs, with its Revolutionary War aesthetic, had a thriving culinary scene even before Skidmore College became one of the most well-known liberal arts schools in the country, with charmingly old school Mrs. London’s (and now, her hip brother next door, Max London’s). Fair trade coffee shops, like Uncommon Grounds and Saratoga Coffee Traders, are where you’ll see most students when they’re not studying in the library. Caroline Street is bustling with bars that are packed with college students and locals alike. If you are looking to get away from the summer crowds that come in with horse racing season, drive or take a Saratoga Taxi further out to pizza place Harvest and Hearth or English pub The Local. And, of course, no trip to Saratoga is complete without two things: a black raspberry softie from Dairy Haus and a doughboy (chicken, cheese, and scallions baked in just-browned pizza dough) from Esperanto, which is rumored to have been invented by a Skidmore professor.