The Definitive Solution to the Upstate NY Question

[rebel1916]

Not being from NY I would propose that the Upstate is anything in NY outside of this map.
NY Metropilitan Area Map

Ulster County is largely the Catskills. The Catskills are upstate.

 

[Warp daddy]

Nope the ""REAL NORTH COUNTRY IS THE EIGHT Northern most counties ( Clinton, Franklin , Essex, Hamilton, St Lawrence , Jefferson Lewis and Warren ) the rest of

Upstate is not necessarily the North County

 

[Brownski]

Yeah, the North Country is different. I don’t think it’s borders are in dispute. But the idea that Kingston isn’t upstate would surprise a lot of people. You get off the Kingston exit to go to Belleayre and the pizza is definitely upstate quality so ….

 

[ScottySkis]

Yeah, the North Country is different. I don’t think it’s borders are in dispute. But the idea that Kingston isn’t upstate would surprise a lot of people. You get off the Kingston exit to go to Belleayre and the pizza is definitely upstate quality so ….

Very true

 

[jasonwx]

Yeah, the North Country is different. I don’t think it’s borders are in dispute. But the idea that Kingston isn’t upstate would surprise a lot of people. You get off the Kingston exit to go to Belleayre and the pizza is definitely upstate quality so ….

Lol
Brio’s isn’t bad tho

 

[marcski]

Life long NY'er here. (For better or worse!). This is a tough question. New York, as discussed herein, can't really be defined in terms of just upstate and downstate. Both Trackbiker and Rebel's points are totally valid. I know people that live in Kingston and Poughkeepsie and commute down to NYC area. But, further west (or east in case of Dutchess) you're in mountains with Bears. Also, NYC Metro area most likely takes into account the overall financial impact of NYC on those counties. If I had to choose a specific line just between upstate and downstate, I'd agree with Trackbiker.

For me, I think New York State = NYC Metro Area (My definition being more in line with Brownski's for this purpose). Then the Hudson Valley up through the Capital Region. Then the Capital Region = Albany, Rennselear, Schenectady and Saratoga Counties. All Counties north (and Washington) = Upstate all the way through Wayne, Schuyler, Seneca, Chemung and all counties west which = Western NY. You can keep going here and chopping up the state further and further. There is no real end. I probably should have included an area in central NY for the Finger Lake Region.

 

[Ripitz]

I think whether or not Putnam County and the Hudson Highlands are upstate is the question. The upstate line is either the Southern boundary (Bear Mountain Bridge) of Putnam or the Northern (Breakneck and Storm King) Everything North of 84 is definitely upstate but that’s where Downstate Correctional Facilty is so that complicates things. Ellenville, New Paltz, Rhinebeck, Millbrook, Amenia and Kingston are definitely upstate. I guess there could be an argument for Poughkeepsie which is where Metro North ends.

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[Milo Maltbie]

I think whether or not Putnam County and the Hudson Highlands are upstate is the question. The upstate line is either the Southern boundary (Bear Mountain Bridge) of Putnam or the Northern (Breakneck and Storm King) Everything North of 84 is definitely upstate but that’s where Downstate Correctional Facilty is so that complicates things. Ellenville, New Paltz, Rhinebeck, Millbrook, Amenia and Kingston are definitely upstate. I guess there could be an argument for Poughkeepsie which is where Metro North ends.

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Upstate Films is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit arts organization committed to enriching lives through cinema. Our mission is to make international and independent cinema as accessible and affordable as possible with the highest standards of presentation.

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This^^^^^
There used to be something called the Bear Mountain Compact. It was a secret agreement among legislators that whatever happened north of the Bear Mount bridge would never be discussed back in the city. Mostly it was about who was sleeping with who in the DeWitt Clinton hotel.

mm

 

[saratogahalfday]

First of all, this thread belongs right here. Let’s not get all moderator’y about it. Now I have spent (wasted) a lot of time pondering this. I’ve listened to a lot of different points of view and as far as I can tell, the line between upstate and downstate goes from the western border of Rockland County, along the eastern/southern edge of Harriman/Bear Mountain Parks, across the Bear Mountain Mountain Bridge, south of Camp Smith, northern border of Peekskill to the Taconic and then along Route 6 until it bears north and more or less east from there to the CT border. Or thereabouts.

The real question is what defines "downstate?" For me it's the most northern stops of Metro-North.

 

[Brownski]

The real question is what defines "downstate?" For me it's the most northern stops of Metro-North.

Others have proposed the Metro North rule before but technically that would include Port Jarvis and all of Orange County. I feel like Orange should be upstate. They’ve still got an awful lot of cows in Orange County.