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I'm wondering what happened to upstate NY (Mohawk Valley, Utica area, in particular) over the last 25-30 years. I drove through there a few years ago on a trip to New England and was astonished at how the area had changed, and not for the better. I had friends that grew up in that area in the 50's and 60's, and I visited them many times, and things were much more prosperous then.
A few years ago, the small towns and cities in that area were quite run down and there were lots of crumbling buildings, literally, in the small towns in the Mohawk Valley. What brought about the change? I had the occasion to see an online copy of the local newspaper in Herkimer, NY and saw the front page loaded with crime, including a recent armed bank robbery. This was unheard of back in the 50's and 60's in that area. What happened?
Agreed, I dont live too far upstate but have seen Rockland & Orange Counties go tremendously downhill in the last decade or two. Thankfully only 8 more months and I'm out of here for good! I cant believe up there is so crappy as well
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Originally Posted by avakiki123
Agreed, I dont live too far upstate but have seen Rockland & Orange Counties go tremendously downhill in the last decade or two. Thankfully only 8 more months and I'm out of here for good! I cant believe up there is so crappy as well
I got news for your New City (Rockland) was no Nirvana back in the 60's/70's.
You current description could have been applied to many places even then. Then I got paroled out of there...
Just different times in general. Things change and it isn't like that area is some war zone or anything. It was always a blue collar area and given the state of manufacturing in the US, let alone NYS, what should we be surprised by what you saw? To be honest, I find this original question to be odd given these obvious realities that aren't exclusive to that area.
I am always suprised at the differences in Goshen (Orange County) when I go visit my parents from when I was growing up. It is just not happening in NY though it is all over the country but especially in the northeast and midwest what is considered the rustbelt areas. When good middle class manufacturing jobs left it pushed many areas into a decline.
I am always suprised at the differences in Goshen (Orange County) when I go visit my parents from when I was growing up. It is just not happening in NY though it is all over the country but especially in the northeast and midwest what is considered the rustbelt areas. When good middle class manufacturing jobs left it pushed many areas into a decline.
Given the housing crisis in some parts of the South and SW, you can include them too. Unemployment is higher in some of those areas than in Upstate NY.
To some degree. There are examples of areas in colder and/or snowy climates that are doing fine. Denver, the Twin Cities, Des Moines, Omaha and Madison WI come to mind.
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