# Who are the Upstate New York Dopers? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 7, 2004, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-upstate-new-york-dopers/249047 "2004-06-07T03:21:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ShadiRoxan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@ShadiRoxan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadiRoxan)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-upstate-new-york-dopers/249047/1 "2004-06-07T03:21:06Z")
**1010011010** and I live near Saratoga Springs in a town called Ballston Spa. We moved up here in January from Tennessee. I like it for the most part. The winter almost killed me. I still can’t figure out how people can walk outside in subzero temps without a hat on. So who else is an Upstate doper? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-upstate-new-york-dopers/249047/2 "2004-06-07T03:41:37Z")
I was raised in the northern Adirondacks. Up until two years ago I lived in western New York. And I now live in what I consider downstate New York (although the inhabitants of NYC would surely disagree and consider everything north of Central Park “upstate”). ---
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-upstate-new-york-dopers/249047/3 "2004-06-07T05:24:27Z")
I used to live in Columbia County, but I moved to Texas. I never thought I’d miss it, and in fact I don’t in the winter… but in autumn I’d kill to be back for a few months. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-upstate-new-york-dopers/249047/4 "2004-06-07T05:26:58Z")
I grew up in Saratoga County, but I now live in Northern Virginia. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-upstate-new-york-dopers/249047/5 "2004-06-07T05:35:54Z")
Born in Ithaca, but haven’t lived there since I was a baby, sorry :). - Tamerlane ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-upstate-new-york-dopers/249047/6 "2004-06-07T05:37:12Z")
Not in Upstate NY, but about 2.5 hours away in Burlington VT. I was just over in Lake Placid earlier tonight playing a gig; I make my way across the border a fair amount. ---
**Author:** ![Omega\_Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7c8e57/32.png) [@Omega\_Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omega_Glory)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-upstate-new-york-dopers/249047/7 "2004-06-07T13:21:38Z")
I live between Buffalo and Rochester, which is technically Western NY, but it’s close to upstate. ---
**Author:** ![williamweigand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b3f665/32.png) [@williamweigand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/williamweigand)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-upstate-new-york-dopers/249047/8 "2004-06-07T13:26:34Z")
I live in the Finger Lakes region. Come visit! ---
**Author:** ![Orville\_mogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/aeb1de/32.png) [@Orville\_mogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orville_mogul)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-upstate-new-york-dopers/249047/9 "2004-06-07T14:41:27Z")
grew up in Cooperstown, went to college and grad school in Ithaca, but finally escaped to Switzerland! ---
**Author:** ![ShadiRoxan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@ShadiRoxan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadiRoxan)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-upstate-new-york-dopers/249047/10 "2004-06-07T15:02:34Z")
So is it that bad here that everyone is leaving? BTW, what’s up with the rivalry between upstaters and downstaters? ---
**Author:** ![screech-owl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@screech-owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/screech-owl)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-upstate-new-york-dopers/249047/11 "2004-06-07T15:19:33Z")
Used to live in Schenectady (aka “Land of Many Chinese Restaurants”), went to school in Ithaca (“Centrally Isolated New York”), and now live in Florida (“Gawddamn Love Bugs!!!.”). screech “I miss Spiedies and the State Fair” -owl ---
**Author:** ![Exgineer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Exgineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exgineer)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-upstate-new-york-dopers/249047/12 "2004-06-07T15:20:50Z")
It’s not so much a rivalry as a downstate belief that once you get north of Yonkers you’re not _really_ in New York any more. That was actually a pretty mild winter. It usually does get cold enough to make a hat a necessity, at least for a few days. For what it’s worth, it’s usually much warmer around here by now too. ---
**Author:** ![Terrorcotta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dbc845/32.png) [@Terrorcotta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrorcotta)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-upstate-new-york-dopers/249047/13 "2004-06-07T15:33:05Z")
What is the border defining upstate from downstate? I grew up in Yorktown Heights just north of White Plains but still in Westchester county so is that up or down? On the other hand, I have a girlfriend in Waterviliet who assures me she is in ‘upstate’. Does that count? ---
**Author:** ![screech-owl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@screech-owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/screech-owl)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-upstate-new-york-dopers/249047/14 "2004-06-07T15:39:30Z")
Pretty much, anything north of New Rochelle is considered ‘upstate’, so Watervliet would be definitely ‘upstate’. (Funny you mention that, there was a whole group of high schoolers at the park the other day, all running around with “Watervliet \”. I just call it “the Canadian side of New York City”. Anyone want to move to Long Island and start a community called “Upstate”, just to confuse people? ---
**Author:** ![Exgineer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Exgineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exgineer)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-upstate-new-york-dopers/249047/15 "2004-06-07T15:42:24Z")
The line is sort of fuzzy, but anything north of Westchester and Putnam counties can safely be described as “upstate.” The farther south you live the farther south you define the line. I hear that some people in Manhattan consider Monticello upstate, which is plainly silly. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-upstate-new-york-dopers/249047/16 "2004-06-07T15:47:58Z")
I’m in Ithaca. How far west does “upstate” extend, anyway? ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-upstate-new-york-dopers/249047/17 "2004-06-07T15:51:50Z")
Anything north of Yonkers is Upstate. 🙂 The rivalry is there because many Upstate people believe the NYC is a drain on the state taxes. It’s simular to many states where ‘rural’ and ‘city’ counties have different views on how the state should be run. (I used to live in Oklahoma) Over a centry ago NYC was stripped of many of it’s governing powers by Albany (upstate) because of corruption. NYC people don’t like it when the Upstaters mess with what seem to NYC issues like rent controll. ---
**Author:** ![ShadiRoxan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@ShadiRoxan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadiRoxan)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-upstate-new-york-dopers/249047/18 "2004-06-07T16:01:07Z")
I’m still working on learning all the terminology. So far I know Upstate, Downstate, Northway, Thruway, and Capital region. Didn’t know that Western New York was different from Upstate. ---
**Author:** ![Tupug\_Anachi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@Tupug\_Anachi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tupug_Anachi)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-upstate-new-york-dopers/249047/19 "2004-06-07T16:07:46Z")
Born and raised in Binghamton, definitely upstate. Left when I was 21 and tried a lot of different places before settling in Fladuh. It was those killer winters that did me in. I’ll put up with the luvbugs any day. ---
**Author:** ![Voorvie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/22d042/32.png) [@Voorvie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voorvie)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-upstate-new-york-dopers/249047/20 "2004-06-07T16:08:17Z")
I currently live in Rochester, NY. Was born in Endicott, NY (by Binghamton). Right after college I moved to Boston and then Tampa, headed back to NY in April 1994. Have been in Rochester 10 years now, guess I just enjoy living so close to the Lake. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-upstate-new-york-dopers/249047.md?page=2)