I am from North Bayshore, but have lived in Various
NYC bouroughs for 22 years and have NEVER heard anyone, anywhere refer to Long Island as upstate. New York State consists of "the City", "Upstate" and "Long Island".
Most Manhattanites are from nowhere near NYC, so they're
opinion of what consitutes a New Yorker are irrelevent. It's hilarious that people living in MAnhattan critisize Long Island for being too rich, when the average rent there is like $2500, and a co-
op starts at a Million.
Long Isand
may be segregated in many sections, But the Bayshore, Brentwood, Central Islip section of South Shore Suffolk is not. It is also working
class to poor. Most of the declining areas are on the south shore and lay false the claim of all rich, all rural. In fact,
LI is quite overdeveloped. Rural areas don't have punishing traffic.
True, culturally, it is deficiant. There is, in fact, little to do at night or otherwise. I found it boring as
hell, that's why I left.
Also, many people are provincial and
lame, but not as much so as 20 or so years ago.
In the Brentwood/Bayshore area there are plenty of gangs,
crack, violence, larceny and 10 dollar blowjobs from a variety of creatures. That's
ghetto. Dangerous, depressing and cyclical.