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Old 03-19-2013, 07:13 PM
 
Location: Montgomery County, PA
16,563 posts, read 15,112,990 times
Reputation: 14584

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I think the best explanation I have read so far is PA's shape. PA is an east-west state. It would be a lot easier to say upstate if it was north-south. If I had to say upstate, I would mean the entire length of Rt. 6. But hey, this is not worth fighting over.
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Old 03-20-2013, 03:50 PM
 
1,099 posts, read 1,231,388 times
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I grew up in the Philly area and yes, "upstate" was a very commonly used term for anything north of Bucks county. I still hear it used today.
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Old 03-21-2013, 05:41 AM
 
645 posts, read 1,271,494 times
Reputation: 1782
Quote:
Originally Posted by HappyRider View Post
I think the best explanation I have read so far is PA's shape. PA is an east-west state. It would be a lot easier to say upstate if it was north-south. If I had to say upstate, I would mean the entire length of Rt. 6. But hey, this is not worth fighting over.

I've picked this post in particular because I feel it closely portrays the attitude of many people that are denying that there's an "upstate" Pennsylvania. Throughout this thread, I've seen this attitude. Moreover, one poster told me that since I didn't know how to spell "upstate," I obviously was wrong and didn't understand the word or what I was talking about. What people with this attitude don't seem to understand is that they've never heard, lived or visited parts of Pennsylvania where the term "upstate" is in the local lexicon of certain parts of the state. Rather than accept the fact that certain parts of central and south eastern Pennsylvania use "upstate" in their vernacular, they deny it, give bogus explanations that don't apply to the area being talked about, or literally call these parts of Pennsylvania that use the term "upstate" as being retarded areas of the state.

Even if the parts being called retarded are indeed idiotic, it still doesn't refute the fact that the usage of "upstate" is quite common. I've never heard of NEPA or North Eastern Pennsylvania before I came to city data seven years ago. Just because I've never heard it used by people local to Lebanon, Dauphin, Berks, and Schuylkill Counties, doesn't mean people in different parts don't use it...

I think it's time to get realistic about what some people are trying to defend and or deny. This debate that "upstate" Pennsylvania doesn't exist is much the same as telling somebody that they're wrong when they state what their favorite flavor of ice cream is.

Last edited by bolillo_loco; 03-21-2013 at 06:11 AM.. Reason: No Rhodes scholar here
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Old 03-21-2013, 10:53 AM
 
Location: Montgomery County, PA
16,563 posts, read 15,112,990 times
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If the term was so well known, why did we need an 11-county marketing strategy?

"Five regional tourism agencies on Wednesday will unveil an 11-county marketing strategy promoting Northeast Pennsylvania as "Upstate PA."
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Old 03-21-2013, 12:20 PM
 
1,099 posts, read 1,231,388 times
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The fact is that just about anyone from the Philly area knows the term "upstate PA" which has been in use for a very long time I assure you. Obviously the term is geographically relative and someone from Scranton would not use it.
I would hazard a guess that the tourism dept. is using the term because they know that it will be recognized in the Philly metro area where many visitors to the Poconos live. Like someone else said the first time I heard this region referred to as Northeast PA or NEPA was on this message board, it was always "upstate" or the Poconos or "the sticks".
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Old 03-21-2013, 03:46 PM
 
Location: Philadelphia, PA
1,567 posts, read 3,099,643 times
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I've had people in the Philly area refer to Lebanon as upstate. That struck me as strange at the time. Now I realize its all relative.
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Old 03-24-2013, 11:56 AM
 
14,613 posts, read 17,288,245 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mancat100 View Post
I've had people in the Philly area refer to Lebanon as upstate. That struck me as strange at the time. Now I realize its all relative.
Traditional 18th century use of the term up and low in Pennsylvania referred to elevation and not compass direction. Frequently the higher elevations are north, but not consistently.

Lebanon is over the range of hills north of Lititz, Ephrata, and Elizabethtown. The main line development of Pennsylvania for the first 150 years was west of Philly towards Lancaster and the Susquehanna river.

You probably would never hear Harrisburg referred to as upstate even though it is at virtually the same latitude as Lebanon. The difference is you never cross any hills to get from Philly to Harrisburg.

Township name : County
Lower Allen : Cumberland
Upper Allen : Cumberland
Lower Alsace : Berks
Lower Augusta : Northumberland
Upper Augusta : Northumberland
Upper Bern : Berks
Upper Burrell : Westmoreland
Lower Chanceford : York
Lower Chichester : Delaware
Upper Chichester : Delaware
Upper Darby : Delaware
Upper Dublin : Montgomery
Upper Fairfield : Lycoming
Lower Frankford : Cumberland
Upper Frankford : Cumberland
Lower Frederick : Montgomery
Upper Frederick : Montgomery
Lower Gwynedd : Montgomery
Upper Gwynedd : Montgomery
Upper Hanover : Montgomery
Lower Heidelberg : Berks
Upper Leacock : Lancaster
Lower Macungie : Lehigh
Upper Macungie : Lehigh
Lower Mahanoy : Northumberland
Upper Mahanoy : Northumberland
Upper Mahantongo : Schuylkill
Lower Makefield : Bucks
Upper Makefield : Bucks
Lower Merion : Montgomery
Upper Merion : Montgomery
Lower Mifflin : Cumberland
Upper Mifflin : Cumberland
Lower Milford : Lehigh
Upper Milford : Lehigh
Lower Moreland : Montgomery
Upper Moreland : Montgomery
Lower Mount Bethel : Northampton
Upper Mount Bethel : Northampton
Lower Nazareth : Northampton
Upper Nazareth : Northampton
Lower Oxford : Chester
Upper Oxford : Chester
Lower Paxton : Dauphin
Upper Paxton : Dauphin
Lower Pottsgrove : Montgomery
Upper Pottsgrove : Montgomery
Lower Providence : Montgomery
Upper Providence : Delaware
Upper Providence : Montgomery
Lower Salford : Montgomery
Upper Salford : Montgomery
Lower Saucon : Northampton
Upper Saucon : Lehigh
Lower Southampton : Bucks
Upper Southampton : Bucks
Upper St. Clair : Allegheny
Lower Swatara : Dauphin
Lower Towamensing : Carbon
Upper Tulpehocken : Berks
Lower Turkeyfoot : Somerset
Upper Turkeyfoot : Somerset
Lower Tyrone : Fayette
Upper Tyrone : Fayette
Upper Uwchlan : Chester
Lower Windsor : York
Lower Yoder : Cambria
Upper Yoder : Cambria
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Old 03-24-2013, 06:11 PM
 
Location: Philadelphia, PA
4,447 posts, read 3,975,384 times
Reputation: 3018
Upstate would have to be from a philadelphian's perspective... I guess there is the term "western pennsylvania"... However Philly is not strictly below the state like NYC is.

Pennsylvania and Philadelphia do not have exclusive identities like New York and New York City do.
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Old 04-22-2013, 02:02 AM
 
2 posts, read 8,058 times
Reputation: 10
Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeNigh View Post
Upstate would have to be from a philadelphian's perspective... I guess there is the term "western pennsylvania"... However Philly is not strictly below the state like NYC is.

Pennsylvania and Philadelphia do not have exclusive identities like New York and New York City do.
PA and Philly are separate, I've lived and worked in Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, Erie, and Williamsport areas. The rest of PA funds Philly.

The upstate thing is relative, and I've never really heard of 'upstate' PA. The usual dividers for PA seem to be: a-the T, b-north of 80/south of 80, and c-the counties that border New York (Potter, Tioga, Bradford)
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Old 04-22-2013, 09:26 AM
 
Location: Philly
10,220 posts, read 16,723,438 times
Reputation: 2971
Quote:
Originally Posted by holgenschlam View Post
PA and Philly are separate, I've lived and worked in Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, Erie, and Williamsport areas. The rest of PA funds Philly.

The upstate thing is relative, and I've never really heard of 'upstate' PA. The usual dividers for PA seem to be: a-the T, b-north of 80/south of 80, and c-the counties that border New York (Potter, Tioga, Bradford)
the rest of PA likes to think it funds Philly but it's not true, most of the"rest of PA" is on the dole as well. the suburbs of Philly and Pittsburgh basically subsidize Philly and the rural counties. (note: since Pittsbugh and Allegheny Cty are not coterminus like Philadelphia and Philadelphia county I have no way of knowing whether Pittsburgh is a net contributor or gainer.
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