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There was a time upstaters tripped over themselves not to be associated with the City. That stopped (mostly) about a decade ago from my experience. Now they lean in to the confusion caused by ambiguity it feels like, for purposes I don't know. It doesn't seem to be a gotcha moment for them, but maybe they are just using that New Yorker subtlety lol.
That said, one upstate tell is probably the fact they don't get specific. A lot of those from NYC area say they are from Long Island, Jersey, Queens, and even a few "New York, New York, the city so nice they named it twice" answers.
There was a time upstaters tripped over themselves not to be associated with the City. That stopped (mostly) about a decade ago from my experience. Now they lean in to the confusion caused by ambiguity it feels like, for purposes I don't know. It doesn't seem to be a gotcha moment for them, but maybe they are just using that New Yorker subtlety lol.
This seems like a lose/lose for them. People from upstate are from New York. It's not their fault that the city and state have become interchangeable in the lexicon. One of my best friend is from Buffalo. He introduces himself as from Buffalo. I don't think about it and say he's from New York. I don't think to clarify "New York State". People automatically default to thinking he's from the city. He always corrects them that he's from Buffalo. I would wager a lot of folks from Upstate run into this and aren't necessarily trying to carpet bag onto the cities coat tails.
It probably is a lose/lose. As I said, others default to their states and I don't usually bat an eye. I don't ask for specificity unless I know the state well. I judge New Yorkers differently in part due to the the city.
There was a time upstaters tripped over themselves not to be associated with the City. That stopped (mostly) about a decade ago from my experience. Now they lean in to the confusion caused by ambiguity it feels like, for purposes I don't know. It doesn't seem to be a gotcha moment for them, but maybe they are just using that New Yorker subtlety lol.
That said, one upstate tell is probably the fact they don't get specific. A lot of those from NYC area say they are from Long Island, Jersey, Queens, and even a few "New York, New York, the city so nice they named it twice" answers.
I lived in upstate for years and 99% of upstaters very distinctly hate the fact New York City is synonymous with the state. They say “New York” cause it’s their state too and don’t want the city folks to dictate what New York is.
Respect. A few are in jest, partially idk if im "underestimating" it.. It's a real sentiment, thats why the tweet exists.
But for a lot of people, most people, it's not in jest. Of tose three i showed only the 2nd one looks like it's partially in jest. I had a lot more tweets and some were pretty angyr. But CD wont let me share that much from twitter.
https://twitter.com/Jah_car_rah/stat...Jxzsl_QrKlh0KA
I repeat, it’s so cringey when ppl tell me that they are from Boston or live there and it’s not actually in Boston - just a neighboring town! Idk why we true Bostonians nitpick that’s so much, but it’s so annoying.
Also once again, Cambridge is not Boston. It’s very close to it.
No one really is worried about the chamber of commerce or knows about what they say. Titletown would exist without the patriots but whos not gonna hop on the chance to call themselves titletown?
Boston organizations and the city is gonna bill itself in the most positive light possible. individuals though? nah.
I fel like where both form neighborhoods where some Bostonians say thats not Boston. Ive def heard people be like Hye Park is the suburbs that's not Boston lol. I've also heard people be like East Boston doesn't count or im not talking about East Boston. I've heard this about Westie oo.
A lot of Bostonians dont really know when theyre in Brighton either they think they're in Cambridge or Brookline.
I'd imagine many, if not most, people who are from suburban Boston but now live in Baltimore, DC, VA, etc. just say "Boston" when asked where they are from because most people don't know anything about Brookline, Milton, Chelsea, Dedham, etc. Does that bother you as well?
This might be controversial, but my "cut off" if you can say "your from XYZ-city" is simply if you got that city's local news on TV growing up. Like if you grew up watching the Philadelphia news, going to the jersey shore, eating hoagies, and rooting for the Eagles, I don't think anyone really cares if you are from the city or not if you say you are from around Philadelphia.
I'd imagine many, if not most, people who are from suburban Boston but now live in Baltimore, DC, VA, etc. just say "Boston" when asked where they are from because most people don't know anything about Brookline, Milton, Chelsea, Dedham, etc. Does that bother you as well?
Yes, absolutely bothers me. You’re misrepresenting my city to others and no-I don’t share bonds about the city with you.
Why are people coming on to the thread about this and then disputing the core premise of the thread with these types of questions?
You’re from Massachusetts. You are not from Boston. Or do people “not no where Massachusetts is”? What does that even mean by the way? Like a mental geographic map or?…
R&B and especially Hip-Hop artists claim to be from Atlanta to get the clout it comes with for those music genres and their target audiences. Being from Atlanta carries a degree of extra degree of authenticity for the target audiences of those genres.
LA and Miami are sexy cities to be from and also have rather liberal definitions of what constitute either city/metro
I lived in upstate for years and 99% of upstaters very distinctly hate the fact New York City is synonymous with the state. They say “New York” cause it’s their state too and don’t want the city folks to dictate what New York is.
It depends on who you talk to, as there is more of a rural/urban divide in that regard.
The elephant in the room is race and white flight especially in the Eastern half of the U.S.. White flight suburbanites disliked what their cities turned into but also maintain an emotional link to the city's past, so they may claim the city in many ways except they will also talk smack about the city proper and how trashy it is etc. Many locals in the city - especially blacks - resent the fact that those folks left and try their utmost to live in a separate jurisdiction while still claiming the city as their own when it suits them. So there's almost a "it's our city now, suckers' element.
I mean if you look at a Red Sox game or any sports team really in Boston, Cleveland, Chicago, Detroit, St.Louis, Baltimore etc. - what do the demographics in the crowd represent? That of the middle and upper classes in the wider metro area thanks to the ticket prices, which usually happens to be completely unrepresentative of the city itself of course. Some of the biggest Boston super fans are now likely people who were born, raised and live outside the city of Boston. The same likely applies to the other cities mentioned, too.
It's an issue that cuts both ways though because the history and legacy of the city does in many ways continue on in those suburban folks. It's just that the issues between that legacy and the other legacy have never been resolved.
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