Not the city, it is ... the Adirondack Region , the largest publicly protected area in the contiguous United States , the place where New York City get their water, the Finger Lakes region, a place where you can see stars, real ones not fake ones.
by klobber February 22, 2020
Contrary to what many here seem to believe, there is more to NY than NYC/Long Island/"Upstate". People over 20 miles south of Albany do not generally consider themselves upstate, and sometimes take offense to being told so by people from NYC. Currently, the upsate economy is sadly depressing, but one can still see the remnants of the beautiful area full of character that once was Upstate New York in Saratoga especially.
by Mingreyy August 8, 2005
Upstate New York, contrary to the belief of Long Islanders, does not begin just north of the city. NYC suburbs include Rockland, Orange, Westchester, Putnam, and Lower Dutchess counties - including Fairfield County, CT. "Upstate" begins north of those places, when there is no longer Metro-North train service to Grand Central Station.
Poughkeepsie is NOT part of upstate New York. However, slightly north of Poughkeepsie (i.e., Rhinebeck) is where "upstate" actually begins. On the flip side of the Hudson, Newburgh is not upstate. Newburgh is only an hour and a half from the city. Please don't call Newburgh upstate. West of the Hudson, upstate begins in Ulster county.
Poughkeepsie is NOT part of upstate New York. However, slightly north of Poughkeepsie (i.e., Rhinebeck) is where "upstate" actually begins. On the flip side of the Hudson, Newburgh is not upstate. Newburgh is only an hour and a half from the city. Please don't call Newburgh upstate. West of the Hudson, upstate begins in Ulster county.
"I'm sorry, but Scarsdale is NOT upstate New York."
Person from Dutchess meets person from Long Island:
D: "Where are you from?"
LI: "Lawn-Guy-Lind. You?"
D: "Dutchess County...like, Poughkeepsie."
LI: "...Is that upstate? What's it like in upstate NY?"
---------------
Person from Dutchess meets person from Renssalaer:
D: "Where are you from?"
R: "Albany. Well Renssalaer, but no one knows where that is....so Albany."
D: "Oh...I'm from Poughkeepsie."
R: "Is it warm there?"
D: "Uh..."
R: "You know upstate starts NORTH of the Hudson, right?"
D: *confused*
Person from Dutchess meets person from Long Island:
D: "Where are you from?"
LI: "Lawn-Guy-Lind. You?"
D: "Dutchess County...like, Poughkeepsie."
LI: "...Is that upstate? What's it like in upstate NY?"
---------------
Person from Dutchess meets person from Renssalaer:
D: "Where are you from?"
R: "Albany. Well Renssalaer, but no one knows where that is....so Albany."
D: "Oh...I'm from Poughkeepsie."
R: "Is it warm there?"
D: "Uh..."
R: "You know upstate starts NORTH of the Hudson, right?"
D: *confused*
by new yawka fo-shizzle November 8, 2006
everywhere in New York State EXCEPT for the city
used to make everyone who doesn’t live in the city feel better about themselves because they have a fancy title too
a way to shut out the city in hopes to bring attention to the fact that New York is an entire state, and New York does not always mean the city
used to make everyone who doesn’t live in the city feel better about themselves because they have a fancy title too
a way to shut out the city in hopes to bring attention to the fact that New York is an entire state, and New York does not always mean the city
person A: Where do you live?
person B: New York
person A: how’s the city life?
person B: no, idiot, i live in Upstate New York and i despise the city.
person B: New York
person A: how’s the city life?
person B: no, idiot, i live in Upstate New York and i despise the city.
by sadgirl getting mad August 22, 2018
upstate new york does not refer to the proximity of new york city; its the entire state in general. upstate is anything north of westchester county.
The 5 bouroughs, nassau, suffolk and weschester are downstate.
the only debate is westchester, not because of the social/economical connections with the city, its just that its north of the bronx. But most people say that it is downstate.
if you think long island is upstate then you are obviously from one of the citys bad schools or from any upstate school (north of weschester). Learn your geography! This isnt that hard! Not one person I have ever met has even knew that this was a "debate"(which its not).
The 5 bouroughs, nassau, suffolk and weschester are downstate.
the only debate is westchester, not because of the social/economical connections with the city, its just that its north of the bronx. But most people say that it is downstate.
if you think long island is upstate then you are obviously from one of the citys bad schools or from any upstate school (north of weschester). Learn your geography! This isnt that hard! Not one person I have ever met has even knew that this was a "debate"(which its not).
Someone from long island/New York City: "Im going upstate this weekend"
Friend: "your going north of westchester? watch out for the tractors!
"
Friend: "your going north of westchester? watch out for the tractors!
"
by LI_NY_Guy June 9, 2005
Lets get it straight..Upstate NY starts after Yonkers for all the people who dont know...It is not all cow country like people think..Yes there are ghettos everywhere here IE: Troy(tell right on ya), Albany (smallbany), Schenectady (AIDS capital of NY outside NYC)and Amsterdam (Amsterico) and other various locales...
Damn I got lost...I thought I was going to NYC and ended up somewhere called Watervliet...Oh shit is that the Arsenal?
by symone..AKA ill nana August 1, 2005
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.
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.
New Yorker 1: I'm going upstate for the summer.
New Yorker 2: You'll love it in Upstate New York for the first few weeks. It's nice to get away from the yuppie assholes down here for a while. Eventually, though, you'll need to come back to civilization.
New Yorker 2: You'll love it in Upstate New York for the first few weeks. It's nice to get away from the yuppie assholes down here for a while. Eventually, though, you'll need to come back to civilization.
by Hubert Cumberdale Jr. February 18, 2008