What is Upstate??? (New York, Buffalo, Rochester: commuting to, metro area, area)

[ernieb]

i say albany is midstate. if u look at NY and find the spot on the eastern part of NY that is right between the top and bottom, albany is right there meaning in the middle. i have never learned that being in the middle means you are more "up" or "down" thats why if someone ask which part of NY your from and ur from albany you can say either midstate or the capital district

[NewToYorkSC]

Originally Posted by wallkiller728

I myself live in Ulster County where the Hudson River and the Catskills meet, and I do not consider this upstate. Many of my relatives when visiting refer to it as that, and it drives me nuts! I believe it is Eastern New York State. Does anyone think like me or differently?

Just saw this. This issue is one that bugs the h*** out of me. I grew up in Beacon. It really bothers me when people call that upstate. Now Syracuse, Above Albany, Plattsburg, up in the adirondacks..THATS UPSTATE!!! It's a big state. The Hudson Valley is toooo close to NYC to be UP. JMO

[Nancy-NJ-NY-ME?]

As the saying goes..... "It's all relative."

[Barefootgirl55]

Upstate is anything north and west of the Tappanzee bridge! LOL


No seriously, it's an area to which the downstaters send their kids to public colleges and their convicted criminals to prisons.

[molly malarky]

Originally Posted by ontheroad

Nothing about the NYS Government ever made sense to me.

the prison is called down state cause the other maximum prisons are upstate ..maybe..who knows , But I consider north of Albany upstate, youre in the hudson valley region to me.. and I miss it sooo much. Im in Malone and you cant get any farther north without hitting Canada

[mcmartian]

I live 5 miles over the pa border and although I don't think of it as upstate it is. The definition of upstate is any part of nY outside of new york city and it's boroughs.

if you want to be more descriptive of where you live other than the city name, then people talk about the adirondacks, the niagara region, the southern tier, etc.

but technically according to our state governemnt and especially to new yorkers. you're either from NY City or upstate.

its funny, seems like those from ny city would like to forget upstate exists and everyone outside the city would like to forget the city exists.

I know that I have trouble convincing my friends from pa that they didn't just pave over the entire state and create a concrete jungle with it and have the entire state like ny city.

[Adirondackfish]

Upstate NY is and always will be the area from Albany, north towards the Border. If you live in Rochester, Buffalo, you are in western NY, Syracuse is Central. Poughkeepsie would be Downstate. a New Yorker is anyone that lives in NY--Not just NYC. I was in the Pittsburgh area one day and someone asked me for directions to NY. I told them it was less than a 3 hour drive and gave them directions- I79 N towards Erie,Pa and then I90 E. They were actually wanting to go to NYC but all they told me is they wanted to go to NY. If you live close to the PA border then you definately are not from Upstate and don't let anyone fool you. I've been a New Yorker all my life and lived in different parts of the state--the only part I haven't lived in is NYC. I'll keep it that way too.

[jensen beach gal]

Originally Posted by i'minformed

your definitions of downstate do not include the Poughkeepsie or Kinston areas....both of which are definitely NOT upstate...they still have the NY accent there and root for NY teams...not upstate.

Hmm I am originally from Poughkeepsie and a big Yankee fan I've always considered Poughkeepsie as being upstate NY-but I've been gone for many years now. My family moved to Utah when I was middle school age(culture shock) and its funny, many people think of NY as being one big city-lol they immediately think NYC. Everyone thought I had an accent-defintely don't see that, nothing like my friends from Brooklyn,Long Island etc. I'm wondering how much Poughkeepsie has changed in the last 20 yrs. Still have a lot of family there-I remember the schools being very good, and think it might be a good place to raise my 12 yr old son.

[Adirondackfish]

Yes, that is upstate- it is north of Albany. I miss the Ausable River and the fishing.

[I'minformed2]

Poughkeepsie is not North of Albany....its a good 1.5-2 hours south of Albany....unless you turn the map upside down of course. haha