What is Upstate??? (New York, Buffalo, Rochester: areas, cities, island)

[Bund]

Anywhere else besides NYC metros

[Jeromeville]

a good rule of thumb that not many consider is... Upstate is anywhere that New York City does not get its water supply from.

Here's a map:

New York City's Water Supply System

[RS085]

Upstate and Western are two different regions, geographically, and culturally (includes sports) but not so much economically.

People like to refer to Buffalo as upstate which isn't entirely wrong, but it is however when compared to places like Albany and Utica. Theres a reason why its called Western New York. Use it.

Especially when Albany and Utica are both 3+ hours from Buffalo.

This state is very wide. Albany shares a longitude with NYC and Utica with Philadelphia. Check it.

Would you put NYC/Philly with Pittsburgh (little further west of Buffalo but you understand its far)?

[juppiter]

Yes, the eastern cities are much different culturally than the western cities. But to me, "Upstate" doesn't imply that they're culturally alike. It's just a way of saying to people, "I'm not from NYC, I live on the I-90 corridor." If the term applies only to the North Country like a lot of people say it does, it's kind of a useless term.

[Annette99]

I am also in Wallkill, and I say we are in the Hudson Valley, not upstate.

[IMISSNY]

I am a Newyorker, who made the mistake of moving south, for a better life - Please Helpppppppp!!!!!!!
My hubby and I have now decided to move back home, Upstate New York, we have a 10 year daughter who can't wait to get back home- so give us some advice. Where are the good neighborhoods in upstate new york 200 - 300 My hubby is looking to go to NYS Corrections or State Patrol and I have 20 years accounting, however, I am going into Nursing. I have about 1 year to go moving upstate to NY.

Things important to us
1. Good school system
2. A nice neighborhood where neighbors actually stick together - (that is not here in the south surprisingly)
3. A subdivision that has kids around my daughters age, she is the only 10 years old, and she wants to have friends -of course-but she is not desperate as she reminds me. LOL
4. An area not too far from NYC we want to be able to go into the city and then come home, to settle down.
5. What is the rental prices up that way

Please advise, we are extermely eager to move back and would like to start looking in some nice areas we hear about Hudson NY - Catskills area- let us know your thoughts

[fiona17260]

[quote=Pidgett;466115]Hi i'minformed!

"I must respectfully disagree with your above statement. You are confusing demographics/geography with the sociopolitical designation "upstate." This is purely from a technical, accurate standpoint as defined by the govt of the state of New York."
What are you talking about? Upstate IS the North Country. Purely speaking from a common sense point of view. Look at a map. Now, flash back to kindergarten when you learned what "up" means, and tell me where the "up" is on the map. All your big nonsense wording was completely unnecessary and really didn't make much sense. Stay off Wikipedia.




"In fact, a native of this area would be quite upset at being defined as part of the NYC Metro/Downstate area as they do not have the classic New Yaaawwwk accent, mindset."
I'm sure they'd be fine with it, calm down.

"It has been historically recognized for sociopolitical purposes that downstate equals NYC's five boroughs, Long Island's two counties, and the suburbs of Westchester, Rockland and Putnam counties. Everything else is upstate."
Ever heard of "Central New York State"?

"Sorry for being picky and persnickety--which, my better half, Mrs. Pidgett says are my middle names , but I felt it necessary to clear the record as the title of this thread, "What is Upstate?," begged the correct answer".
Mrs. Pidgett is a very lucky woman. You must make her feel much smarter and WAAAAY less pretentious when you speak.

[Puru]

Personally, I've only really considered anything north of the Catskills area as "upstate", and everything west of Syracuse I've always referred to as "Western NY" (so in my mind I've never really consodered or called western NY "upstate" even if it is).
I think where upstate NY actually begins sort of depends from person to person though.

[Minathebrat]

I was born in the Bronx and we moved to the 'burbs (Westchester) when I was little. Southern Westchester is not upstate- I grew up 5 miles north of the Bronx border, or 12-13 miles north of Spuyten Duyvil (Southern Bronx)-Inwood (Northern Manhatten) for reference. You have to drive through Yonkers, which I would not consider rural by any stretch, to get there, or take the metro-north Harlem line into Grand Central. However, it is definately suburbia. There are yards, with trees. It was nice to come home to after spending the day in the city, less hectic, fewer people. My dad commutes everyday for work, it's a nice walk to the train station.

As a kid, I had friends who lived in Northern Westchester - their towns, like Mt. Kisco and Millwood, seemed very rural to me. Winding roads, lots of deer, woods everywhere, you have to drive to get anywhere. A little scary to drive at night because of the lack of streetlights. I had a friend who lived in Pawling and I was shocked when I went to her house for the first time- she lived on a dirt road! I felt like I was in the middle of nowhere, yet it took less than an hour to get there.

That has change alot over the years, and Northern Westchester has alot more people, everything is much more built-up. Long Island is definitely it's own world. My brother and sister live out there now, so I've spent some time out there. Brooklyn and Queens are part of the city, LI starts with Nassau.

Since I'm moving north- and I can't wait!!!, btw, I've gotten some flack for wanting to move upstate. I've been asked why I would want to live in the "woods" or the "middle of nowhere" or (my favorite) "up with the pigs". I've been reminded that upstate is a "depressed area" and alot like "Pennsyltucky".

So those who detect the attitude, it is definitely there for some people. I think it is most prevalent in those who have to justify to themselves why they are paying, paying, paying through the nose and mortgaged to the hilt to live in an outrageously-priced area. So they constantly have to remind themselves it is worth it by jeering anyplace else. It's not just upstate that gets poked fun of, it's anywhere in the world that's not NY. I mean, look how much Jersey gets slammed even though it's part of the Tri-State Area, and so many people who work in Manhattan live there! The whole Pennsyltucky crack aimed at Pennsylvania..and Kentucky. The city has to keep up it's own hype, and people buy into it...literally.

I've been lucky enough since marrying my very rural and non-NYer hubby to have lived all over the country. I think very few places rival upstate NY for sheer beauty. I'm excited to be living in the midst of it. My father's family emigrated from Rochester a few generations ago, I'm looking forward to moving closer to where they were from- maybe find some long-lost relatives!

[Irish4evr]

Back in the day...Upstate was anything north of Saratoga...the Buffalo-Rochester area was referred to as the Southern Tier...and everything from Albany south was Downstate. Keep in mind....this was the way folks looked at the landscape back in the days when a trip from Syracuse to Plattsburgh took (2) days.. I have heard NYC residents refer to everything north of the Bronx as Upstate. I guess the reference could be totally relevant to where you are standing...at that moment...