[sheena12]

Originally Posted by vter

They do, IMO, have a different "feel" to them. One biggie is that Vermont does not allow billboards. It really is amazing how much billboards mar the landscape IMO. Drive across Route 4 from Fort Ann to Vermont and you'll really notice it.
I'm most familiar with the I-87 corridor north of Glens Falls. That part of NY seems more economically depressed to me, especially the Adirondacks. Whether or not that is true, I'd need to look at the data..but that is the feeling I get.
Outside of Adirondack park it seems as though land development is much easier in NY than in VT. VT has stringent development laws, in big part to protect our "look".

YES! I m sensitive when it comes to the "feel" of a place. Within seconds of crossing the boarder of NYS into Vermont, I can feel the change.

VERMONT -

1. Less light pollution. Vermont nights are velvety and dark. You can see stars.

2. No billboards. This makes so much of a difference. Not only are they ugly, but the lighting produces more light pollution.

3. Vermont people are more progressive in general. More accepting of one another no mater what their political persuasion.

4. *Generally*, Vermonters are more likely to be physically active and heath conscious.

5. More transplants and they are well accepted.

6. While they are accepting, they are reserved, do not probe or ask personal questions.

7. Hunters and gun owners seen to coexist with non-hunters and non gun owners. People just talk and argue about guns a whole lot less.

8. More arty and creative.

9. Has a "New England" feel.

10. While the old New England accent can be heard, most people are unaccented and tend to speak Standard American English.


UPSTATE NEW YORK

1. People are more Conservative, politically.

2. More ""Middle American" less "quirky".

3. Not very transient - more people have lived their for generations. Less people move there. More insular.

4. Lots of hunting and hunting culture. Despite what ever gun laws NYS has, law abiding people in upstate New York do own, and use guns. Gun ownership is part of the culture of upstate NY. Many gun shows, stores, and taxidermy stores. If you do not own a gun, you might be looked at as odd.

5. More conventionally religious and religion includes evangelical "Mega Churches", other fundamentlist churches, and ethnic Roman Catholicism. Few progressive churches, except in upstate college towns or cities.

6. People have a distinct "Midlands" accent. NOT a downstate "Brooklyn Queens accent" - (and accent that is fading among younger people). The Upstate accent in alive and well.

7. Less heath conscious, food tends to be very middle American, hearty, or ethnic food - such as old school Polish and Italian. People eat hearty. Domestic beer - especially certain regional beers are very popular. Also, more fast food restaurants.

8. Agriculture and state fairs still very popular. As is 4-H.

9. DO NOT make the mistake of confusing Up State NY culture, with down state New York Metro culture. They are two different things.

10. People are outwardly friendlier - more Midwestern.

What they have in common?

1. Both places - up-state New York and Vermont are places of incredible natural beauty.

2. Both have long, cold winters.

3. Both have mountains and lakes.

4. Those cold winters make for good apples and maple syrup!

5. Both have delicious cheeses.

10. Autumn is really a great time to visit either one!

[CatwomanofV]

When I first moved to Vermont, one thing that I noticed was when I walked down the street and passed people, they said hello. I had lived in San Antonio, Tx and you didn't dare even look at a person you were passing because they may take out a gun or a knife or whatever.

Also, one time Hubby ran off the road one icy day. A couple of people stopped to help. Then another day he was planning to meet his daughter in Orwell. He forgot to mention about another turn she needed to take so he stopped the car to wait for her at that turn. This old lady stopped to ask if everything was ok and if she could help. Hubby kind of laughed if he were in trouble, what could the old lady do to help? But, the fact that she offered really hit him.

When I was in high school, I lived in Dutchess Co. NY-some will argue that that isn't really upstate. I had a friend who was an epileptic. We got off the school bus and she had a seizure in the middle of the road. I tried to move her to the side but I couldn't so I stood there to make sure no one would run her over. People drove by and looked and not ONE person stopped to offer assistance. Of course there wasn't really anything they could do but wait until the seizure was over. But, it makes you wonder when people see someone laying in the road and not stop!??

To me, that is the MAJOR difference between Vermont & New York-people are willing to help others.


There was one time when I was visiting my mother who lived in Port Ewen, just south of Kingston. It was Dec. When people found out that I lived in Vermont, they asked how much snow did we have. I looked out the window and said, "No more than you have here." I guess people think that Vermont in above the Arctic Circle. Hubby came SOUTH when he first moved to Vermont from Potsdam. As he always says, it is not the end of the world but you can see it from there.



Cat

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by CatwomanofV

When I first moved to Vermont, one thing that I noticed was when I walked down the street and passed people, they said hello. I had lived in San Antonio, Tx and you didn't dare even look at a person you were passing because they may take out a gun or a knife or whatever.

Also, one time Hubby ran off the road one icy day. A couple of people stopped to help. Then another day he was planning to meet his daughter in Orwell. He forgot to mention about another turn she needed to take so he stopped the car to wait for her at that turn. This old lady stopped to ask if everything was ok and if she could help. Hubby kind of laughed if he were in trouble, what could the old lady do to help? But, the fact that she offered really hit him.

When I was in high school, I lived in Dutchess Co. NY-some will argue that that isn't really upstate. I had a friend who was an epileptic. We got off the school bus and she had a seizure in the middle of the road. I tried to move her to the side but I couldn't so I stood there to make sure no one would run her over. People drove by and looked and not ONE person stopped to offer assistance. Of course there wasn't really anything they could do but wait until the seizure was over. But, it makes you wonder when people see someone laying in the road and not stop!??

To me, that is the MAJOR difference between Vermont & New York-people are willing to help others.


There was one time when I was visiting my mother who lived in Port Ewen, just south of Kingston. It was Dec. When people found out that I lived in Vermont, they asked how much snow did we have. I looked out the window and said, "No more than you have here." I guess people think that Vermont in above the Arctic Circle. Hubby came SOUTH when he first moved to Vermont from Potsdam. As he always says, it is not the end of the world but you can see it from there.



Cat

To be fair, I've had people snow plow my driveway and give assistance when I got stuck in snow or stalled out. So, that will vary.

Another thing about Upstate NY that is likely different is that even select small towns may be surprisingly more culturally diverse than similar small towns in the Northeast. For instance, this is a HS Basketball game between 2 small town communities in between Syracuse and Rochester: https://youtu.be/qFeRNxq6Oro

Both maybe have 1000 students in their whole school district each.

Native American culture is more prevalent in parts of Upstate as well.

Also, water based outdoor options will be more abundant in Upstate NY.

I dare say that Upstate is more transient than some may realize due to the high college and in the Watertown area, military presence. In the cities, people in certain industries may get their start there, but may move on to bigger areas after a few years or so.

[Isabella Tiger Moth]

Thank you, everybody!! Great insights.

[grouse789]

I have friends in upstate, WNY, as well as VT.
To me the true locals, not the weekenders from nyc(that goes for both states), the locals are willing to help, and are friendly . Some of the friendliest ppl I've ever encountered were out in Hamburg NY.
The border areas of NY and VT are however very different. It seems from appearances a difference between the "tired, slightly run down look" of NY vs the tidy neat appearance of VT. I'll site RT. 7 Hoosic falls area while pretty, looks beat up. Cross over into vt and it's downright pretty.
No slight to the people living there, just that if you go up that border line right up to Canada there is a tale of two "states" going on.

[restlessyankee]

I'm in Watertown,NY and Vermont is sounding better. I'm 9 years away from retiring and it's not going to be Watertown

[cloven]

FWIW-my random thoughts:
I moved to Brattleboro, Vt. from Albany, NY.
Lived in Albany from 1988-1991, then during summers off college, then again 1994-95.

Wasn't my choice to move there, family moved to NY when I was teenager-
originally from small city in Maine (my reference point for hometown).
Was my choice to move to Vt in 1995, once I got burned out on, overwhelmed by Albany
(city life, too many people, change in political winds).
Enjoyed things about Albany though, miss some aspects-but I'm able to relax more here.

Have only traveled a few times between Brattleboro & Albany, but there seem to be many commonalities (cultural, geographic)
between the rural areas that stretch along that route, irrespective of which side of state line they're on.

Weather seems similar to me, between the two locations.
Albany NY is the local weather station for lower two counties of Vt.

Also, went to college in Rochester, NY-though was mostly on campus so had limited sense of what city itself was like.
But I caught glimpses of the rural spots dotting the NY thruway on the lengthy ride between there and Albany.

Vermont does seem to have features that distinguish it from neighboring states
(those with far larger populations), sheerly based on there being fewer Vt. residents.

[f5fstop]

Problem with the State of NY is that the City of NY basically runs the government.

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by restlessyankee

I'm in Watertown,NY and Vermont is sounding better. I'm 9 years away from retiring and it's not going to be Watertown

To be fair and to put things into perspective, Watertown would be the second biggest city in Vermont and there are more people in the Syracuse metro area than there are people in VT. Burlington's Old North End is probably similar to Watertown's North Side in terms of being more blue collar/lower-working income.

Places like Sackets Harbor, Cape Vincent, Clayton and Alexandria Bay are Watertown area communities that could fit in well in VT and other parts of New England, if you want that look/feel(with water).

[sheena12]

Originally Posted by f5fstop

Problem with the State of NY is that the City of NY basically runs the government.

That is not even remotely true.

NYC has absolutely no jurisdiction over NY State.