Snyder's Lake, New York

Snyder's Lake is a hamlet of North Greenbush in Rensselaer County, New York, United States.

Snyder's Lake, New York
hamlet
Snyder's Lake, New York Location within the state of New York
Coordinates: 42°41′32″N 73°38′40″W
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Rensselaer
Area
• Total	2.0 sq mi (6.3 km2)
• Land	2.0 sq mi (6.3 km2)
• Water	0.75 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation	600 ft (182.88 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	Unknown
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	12198
Area code(s)	518
FIPS code	36-83349
GNIS feature ID	0971770

The area is centered by the lake which bears its name. It is the only lake within the town of North Greenbush. The lake lies in an area that was once populated by the Native American tribe known as the Mahicans. It was known as "Aries Lake" until the early 1900s, when it was renamed for the Snyder Family, whose descendants still reside there. Its original name is unknown.

The exact current population of the area is unknown, however it is estimated to be less than 1000. Snyder's Lake is located in the southeast corner of the town of North Greenbush. West Sand Lake Road (NY Route 150) borders the area on the north side while NY Route 43 borders the area's south side. Part of Rensselaer County Route 68, known as Pershing Avenue, goes through the center of the area. It is one of the area's two main thoroughfares, with Troy Avenue / Geiser Road being the other.

The area is almost entirely residential with a few businesses. It has a small grocery store on the east end of town. The Villa Valenti restaurant (located at Snyder's Corners at the east end of Pershing Ave.) was also considered by most local residents to be part of Snyder's Lake. It burned down in January 2014. On the western border is a Muslim cemetery, located on farmland owned by the Mohamed family.

It is a middle class community of less than 1000. The number of households is estimated to be between 100 and 200. Many residents are traditionally outdoorsmen, who enjoy the abundance of local hunting and fishing. A 15 minute drive to Downtown Albany allows for abundant career commuters as well.

There is no official government, as it is governed and represented by the town of North Greenbush. However, it has traditionally had an unelected person referred to as its mayor throughout its history. Most notable of these "mayors" was Webster "Whoopie" Scoville (1928-1991).

On the east end of the lake stood the Excelsior House, a speak-easy/night club which was destroyed by fire in 2009. The Excelsior House operated from the 1920s until the 1970s and was frequented by members of the Irish Mafia and notable characters such as Legs Diamond.