The Definitive Solution to the Upstate NY Question

[Ripitz]

If cows = upstate then Dutchess County is upstate too. Lot’s of dairy in Dutchess starting at the southern border with Jackson’s Farm just off the Taconic south of the intersection with I-84. I’ve heard people say that’s when they feel like they are in the country when they come up the Taconic and get to that point. I never use the term downstate. It has a derogatory feel to it. As if the people up North look down on the people to the South. Maybe that’s in my head or maybe they do. Maybe both. I do use the term upcountry. I have quite a few clients with second homes in Garrison, Pawling and Millbrook. “When will you be upcountry next?” I would say, instead of saying upstate.

 

[x10003q]

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.

But there are also a lot of NYC firemen and cops living in Orange County. I worked in NYC with a bunch of people who commuted from Warwick. Orange Cty is downstate for me.

 

[Campgottagopee]

 

[Low Angle Life]

The upstate downstate doesn't trouble me nearly as much as the entire concept of the "Hudson Valley". I guess I get particularly irked as a New Jersey resident who can literally walk to the river and yet the Hudson Valley starts at exit 15 on the thruway with seemingly no boundary's to the east or west beyond the state boarder and maybe the Delaware County line. Personally I feel more in the Hudson Valley a short bike ride away from the Piermont Pier than I feel anyone in Sloatsburg is.

 

[Milo Maltbie]

...I get particularly irked as a New Jersey resident who can literally walk to the river and yet the Hudson Valley starts at exit 15 ...

I thought Jersey residents were only irked about not being part of New York City. Who knew they could also be irked about not being part of New York State?

mm

 

[Harvey]

The upstate downstate doesn't trouble me nearly as much as the entire concept of the "Hudson Valley". I guess I get particularly irked as a New Jersey resident who can literally walk to the river and yet the Hudson Valley starts at exit 15 on the thruway with seemingly no boundary's to the east or west beyond the state boarder and maybe the Delaware County line. Personally I feel more in the Hudson Valley a short bike ride away from the Piermont Pier than I feel anyone in Sloatsburg is.

Haha get your own thread! ?

The Hudson Valley is long! Our place is in it in the Adk. Maybe not technically the valley at 1900' but certainly in the watershed.

Lower HV
Mid HV
Upper HV
NJ HV? It's not that Valley-ish there, but I say legit!

 

[Low Angle Life]

The boarders mean nothing to me as someone who's spent a my whole life crisscrossing them in the rugged hills where arbitrary lines drawn by dead white men mean nothing. Its more what I feel is a mislabeling that irks me, I live near the Palisades, I wouldn't consider a geologic feature like these cliffs part of a valley and going off that same logic IMHO the "Hudson Valley" should start north of 84 one you've traveled north through the Hudson Highlands. Ellenville is often considered part of the Hudson Valley, and yet I would argue that because it sits west of the Shawangunk ridge, it should fall outside of this zone.

 

[Campgottagopee]

Our place is in it in the Adk

Was going to say the same thing

 

[Brownski]

I don’t know. I understand that New York Harbor and New York Bay are probably part of the Hudson River but still… “Hudson Valley” evokes a sort of New England-like charm that just doesn’t exist in Fort Lee or Hoboken. On the other hand, as noted above, much if the actual Hudson Valley doesn’t live up to that stereotype either so welcome to Dirty Jersey I guess.

 

[tirolski]

The boarders mean nothing to me as someone who's spent a my whole life crisscrossing them in the rugged hills where arbitrary lines drawn by dead white men mean nothing. Its more what I feel is a mislabeling that irks me, ...

Ya could add a stanza to Imagine, an old retired Beatle's song.