The reason why Westchester and Long Island are downstate and Rockland is upstate has nothing to do with urbanization or location, but rather historical connection to New York City. The Bronx used to be part of Westchester County until the late 19th century and much of Westchester's nomenclature still exists in the Bronx today; the Eastchester neighborhood used to be part of the present-day Town of Eastchester; there is an Eastchester Bay and Westchester Creek in the Bronx, as well as an Eastchester Road, White Plains Road, and Westchester Square. There is a Town of Pelham in Westchester as well as Pelham Bay Park, Pelham Bay, and Pelham Parkway in the Bronx. Also, there is a Bronx River and Bronx River Parkway running through the Bronx and Lower Westchester. However, by this method Upper Westchester might qualify as upstate because it really is not involved in the Bronx/Lower Westchester history, and has some upstate names (e.g. "-on Hudson","-kill" as in Peekskill).
Nassau County used to be part of Queens and that is apparent based on similar names on both sides of the city line. Little Neck is in Queens adjacent to Great Neck in Nassau County. There's an East Rockaway in Nassau and Far Rockaway in Queens. Also, some towns in Nassau on the Queens border have the same name as the QUeens neighborhoods on the other side, like Floral Park and Bellerose. Furthermore, many zip codes straddle the Queens-Nassau border.
Rockland has none of those. It does not border any borough of NYC nor share any history with it. In fact, Rockland County used to be part of Orange County (which is upstate according to most Rockland County residents) until about 1800. This is why Orangetown is in Rockland County.
Nassau County used to be part of Queens and that is apparent based on similar names on both sides of the city line. Little Neck is in Queens adjacent to Great Neck in Nassau County. There's an East Rockaway in Nassau and Far Rockaway in Queens. Also, some towns in Nassau on the Queens border have the same name as the QUeens neighborhoods on the other side, like Floral Park and Bellerose. Furthermore, many zip codes straddle the Queens-Nassau border.
Rockland has none of those. It does not border any borough of NYC nor share any history with it. In fact, Rockland County used to be part of Orange County (which is upstate according to most Rockland County residents) until about 1800. This is why Orangetown is in Rockland County.
Nobody seriously believes Rockland County is rural or far from the city, it just has no historical connection to the city, which Westchester and Nassau Counties do.
by YO Man July 16, 2004
The odd man out of the New York City boroughs. Staten Island is west of the Hudson and should be considered part of New Jersey. Kind of like how Marble Hill is on the mainland but is part of Manhattan. Go figure.
Growing up in Yonkers, Staten Island was like the moon: a shithole, no reason to there, feels a lot farther than it actually is, a place you see and hear about but still seems mythical.
by YO Man July 11, 2004
A town where people will look at you like you have 3 heads if you say you plan on attending a public university. The main town that gives Westchester County a bad name (or good name, which ever way you look at it.) The reason people think Westchester is full of snobs is mostly b/c of Scarsdale. A town whose postal address spans, literally, 6 towns, so that some people in Eastchester, Yonkers, Mamaroneck, New Rochelle, and Greenburgh can impress their relatives in Jersey by saying they live in "Scarsdale". A place where you are the pariah if you didn't get a Ferrari for your 15th birthday.
Everything that happens in Scarsdale is such a big fucking deal. Bomb threat at Scarsdale High School - front page of the newspaper. Bomb threat at Mount Vernon High School - wait, I've never heard of any bomb threats there...
Everything that happens in Scarsdale is such a big fucking deal. Bomb threat at Scarsdale High School - front page of the newspaper. Bomb threat at Mount Vernon High School - wait, I've never heard of any bomb threats there...
by YO Man June 30, 2004
A boring, phony, sterile "city" in Westchester. Has a lot of malls though little culture, flavor, or character to it. Basically a more built-up version of affluent suburbia, calling it a "city" is misleading.
White Plains just seems to perfect to me...it seems more planned than evolved, unlike Yonkers, a haphazard mess of everything.
by YO Man December 25, 2004
A town in Westchester where kids think they are "niggas" who are "from" the South Bronx because they lived in the Bronx's upper middle class Country Club section until age 1.
by YO Man December 12, 2004
A city of 72,000 in the suburbs of New York City. Borders New York City (The Bronx specifically) by water but not by land. Consists of two very contrasting parts. The northern half of New Ro is Wykagyl which is an upper middle class snobfest with this gay chain deli called Cosi which looks like Starbucks and caters to country club Westchester types. The southern half of New Rochelle, downtown, is run-down and depressed. Not much here besides New Roc City, a large entertainment complex with a movie theater charging $10 per ticket. Singer Don McLean grew up here and New Rochelle is said to be the home of American Pie. Actor Ossie Davis is a current resident. Also, Matt Dillon was born in New Ro but grew up in Mamaroneck, the next town up the sound.
Why the fuck does UrbanDictionary now REQUIRE examples? OK, they just said that first sentence was too short and Now this is pissing me off.
by YO Man July 04, 2004