The vast area encompassing New York State north of Westchester county. A varied mosaic of farmland, woodland, picturesque rolling hills, and towns and cities ranging from the charming to the decrepit. Generally more provincial and less cosmpolitan than its densely urban New York City counterpart, its citizenry is more approachable and friendly albeit less refined and cultured than the pretentious yuppies of New York and Long Island. Some of its urban centers are buoyed economically and culturally by the influence of many universities and (in the case of the capital region) government administration centers; however most of its large cities are mired in varying states of urban decay and have been hemorrhaging population since the 1950s due to a steady loss of jobs and a subsequent increase in crime. Utica, Rochester, and Newburgh are particularly miserable places to set foot in. Its more rural areas, which feature breathtaking landscapes, are lovely and bucolic albeit mind-numbingly boring to actually live in.

In summation, upstate New York is too large and varied an area to define succinctly. As a native resident of New York City who went to college upstate I can both laud it for being physically beautiful and its natives for being candid, frank, and hospitable while noting that I would never want to live there permanently as life there can grow trite, repetitive, cold as hell, and insufferably boring after a while and the locals' lack of sophistication and city-esque hustle, while charming at first, can also eventually grow unflattering. Not that I'd want them to change. Their lack of tact and culture is offset by their good character and sincerity, something too many city residents and Long Islanders sorely do not have. Both Upstate and Downstate need each other, more or less. It's a yin-yang thing.

Some people on here are some major stereotypical morons. First of all, get a fucking geography book, Long Island is NOT part of Upstate. If you think that, then you are dumb as shit. You are also dumb as shit if you think that Upstate is all hicks. Do you not think there are cities in Upstate ny? less than 10% of people in Upstate NY live on farms, get a fucking clue. There are 4, count em, 4 cities in upstae ny with metro populations of over 1,000,000 people. Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, and Albany/Schenectady/Troy. The entire population of Upstate NY is about 6,000,000 people. Do some fucking math. If 4 cities have metro populations of over 1 million people, that means that between 4 and 5 million of the 6 million people that live in Upstate NY, live in either a city or a suburb. The vast majority of the remainder of the people in Upstate NY live in small cities, but cities nonetheless, like Ithaca, Elmira, Binghamton, and Watertown. NYC people, we in Upstate pay for your damn subway, highrises, taxicabs, and all of the other stuff with our thru the roof taxes that the Donwstate controlled government puts on us, have some damn respect!!!!

Any place above Westchester, NY is considered upstate NY. Upstate New Yorkers usually have to answer questions like " Do you have a New York accent?"," Is it crowded there?","Do you live on 5th Avenue?"

The answers to all of these are NO! lol New York has a lot more to offer than just the city. Ever considered that ya punk?!

One of the most scenic areas of the United States. IS NOT ALL HICKS. Has 4 metropolitan areas with over a million people.... Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, and Albany. We ARE NOT all bunkins. I live in a picture perfect suburb in which 65% of people age 25 and over have at least a bachelors degree. People from NYC like to make fun of upstate because unlike them, we weren't stupid enough to cram ourselves into a tiny area with no room to spread out. So what do they do? The try and invade upstate NY, with their huge suburban sprawl which has now spread into southern parts of Upstate New York. Also, we ALWAYS have to say that we are from "Upstate New York", rather than just say "New York" when we are visiting other areas, because EVERYONE thinks that all of new york state is like NYC, and they ALWAYS ask "why don't you have the accent" Holy crap, people in upstate new york don't have that idiotic "new yawk" accent, we speak normal. AND LONG ISLAND IS NOT PART OF UPSTATE NEW YORK, WHATEVER DUMB FUCK THOUGHT THAT UP NEEDS TO LOOK AT A DAMN MAP!!!!!!

1. Your idea of a traffic jam is 10 cars waiting to pass a tractor
3. You measure distance in hours
4. You know several people who have hit deer more than once
6. You stay in your house most of the summer because you aren't used to the heat
7. You drive at 55 mph through 10 feet of snow during a raging blizzard without flinching
11. You carry jumper cables in your car and your girlfriend knows how to use them
14. Driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled in with snow
16. You know 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, cold, construction
19. Cows are just part of the scenery
22. You know that the phrase, "Goin up ta," applies to going north, south, east, or west, up or down in elevation, and pretty much any other way you can travel.
23. The smell of freshly spread cow manure doesn't bother you.
26. Halloween costumes are always designed around a snowsuit and winter boots.
31. You can name everyone you graduated with.
42. You still go home for Homecoming.
58. Your teachers call you by your older sibling's name.
64. You have to name six surrounding towns to explain to people where you're from.
67. When somebody says "Thats billy fucillo HUGE" you know exactly what they are talking about
I don't agree with the people saying upstate starts just noth of NYC and Long Island, It is more the Finger Lakes and north regions, maybe some of the southern tier but I am pretty sure they have their own set of rules there.

The use of this term varies by region.

- NYC + LI: North of the Tappan Zee Bridge.*
- Westchester: North of Westchester.
- Lower Hudson Valley (Rockland, Putnam, etc.): North of Poughkeepsie.
- Albany: North of Albany

* Some people from these areas consider anything North of the Bronx to be upstate. However, (for NYC) they probably have never left their borough, or (for LI) they're jealous because Westchester is essentially a superior version of Nassau County.

All that aside, the technical definition of Upstate New York, as defined by the New York State Department of Tourism, is anything North of southern Dutchess County.

Seriousley... Why are all upstate people considered hicks? I do not know. I live in a town called Lake George which is one of the most heavily toured areas in the state. As well as one of the richest in the state. If upstate New York was a bunch of hicks do you really think that Derek Jeter, or DMX, or Jay-Z would buy lake front mansions? I dont think so. Get a grip.

Downstate as defined by the New York State Dept of Tourism:

Westchester, Rockland, Orange, Putnam, and Southern Dutchess Counties.

Includes: City of Rye, Peekskill, Newburgh, Middletown, Beacon, Port Jervis, Yonkers, Mount Vernon, White Plains, ect. ect.


So anything north of Poughkeepsie basically, like Ulster and Columbia counties.