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Syracuse for me, although I admit to not having a really good reason for thinking this. I think it's basically the presence of the university, and the fact that it is suitably far enough away as to not have any downstate influences, but not so far as Buffalo which feels like the gateway to the midwest to me (I say that knowing I will catch some flak for that, but oh well).
I live about 100 km (60 miles) as the crow flies from NYS territory, and it's two jurisdictions over from where I sit.
From me where I sit when I think of THE upstate NY city I think of Buffalo. Even though Syracuse and Rochester are closer to me and I've been to both of them more often than Buffalo.
Funny but I didn't think of Albany until I saw it on the list. And I don't think that for most people in Quebec who are further to the east than me and therefore pass by Albany on the way to NYC on I-87, that Albany registers much either.
You never hear about Albany in Quebec in general. You hear way more about Plattsburgh. Then it's like there is nothing but woods between there and NYC. OK, maybe Lake George gets some attention.
But if you asked the average Quebecer to name a city in New York other than NYC, Buffalo would be the dominant answer by far. (Due to pro sports teams mostly. If Rochester were in the NHL and not Buffalo, it'd be Rochester.)
I think the answer to this depends entirely on where you're from. For me, "upstate" is anything outside the metro NYC area, i.e., anywhere where a regular commute to the city is rare. I'd call the city most associated with upstate Albany. It's the capital and has been in the news a lot the past year because of Cuomo and his nationally recognized covid response.
But for a lot of other people, probably most, they'd say Buffalo, thanks mainly to the Bills and Niagara Falls.
That is Syracuse in the background and there a re multiple threads in the NY forum about this.
As for the question, I don't know, but out of the bigger cities, Syracuse has a nice mix and its location allows you to get to a lot of things that define that part of the state within a couple of hours.
Nothing annoys me more being an NY sports fan when someone assumes I'm a Buffalo fan, or when people say Upstate NY's sports teams are Buffalo teams.
How you gonna say Buffalo represents Upstate NY when Albany is two hours closer to NYC?
More like 4 hours closer.
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