It is an irregularly shaped area 114 acres (46 ha) in size, extending almost to Saratoga Race Course from the neighborhood of Congress Park.

It then returns to East Harrison along Swanner Lane and follows the back lines along some of the houses along Lake Avenue (NY 29)[2] Opposite Marion Place, it goes out to Lake and follows it east to the middle of the block between Marion and Nelson Avenue.

[2] The district's terrain is mostly level, most of it east of the rise from the small fault where the city's springs are located.

Only 15 of them are of modern construction, including one supermarket building, and thus not considered contributing properties to the district's historic character.

A few institutional buildings remain from Skidmore College's use of the area prior to 1976, especially its former art school near the west boundary.

The state armory on Lake Avenue, one of many designed by Isaac Perry, is also included, as well as a church, fire station and local elementary school.

These people, primarily the owners of stores and spas and those who owned the firms that designed and built them, wanted to live in houses that reflected their success.

They gravitated to the neighborhoods east of upper Broadway and north of Union Avenue, where the wealthy summer residents had their homes.

[2] Currently its historic character is preserved by the city's Design Review Commission, a seven-member body appointed by the mayor to staggered three-year terms.