Date: Thu, 3 Nov 1994 18:27:03 -0600

From: Daniel S Goodman dsg[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]MAROON.TC.UMN.EDU

Subject: Re: new york city and upstate



On Wed, 2 Nov 1994, M. Lynne Murphy wrote:



which leads to the topic of "upstate" and "downstate". to us up

rochester-way, anything from the catskills south is "downstate" but

to the NYCers, westchester co. (commuting distance) is "upstate". (i

frequently have to explain to people that no, being from upstate ny

doesn't mean you get to benefit from the culture of the city. it's

a7-8 hour drive for me.) the relativity of these terms is

interesting, but not as interesting as in illinois, where someone

from dekalb or rockford (NW of chicago) can be from "downstate".



I never encountered the term "downstate" applied to NY State till

recently. (I grew up in Ulster County, lived a while in The City.)



When people ask where I'm from, I sometimes say I'm from the part of the

Appalachians that used to be Dutch-speaking. It shortens the explanations.



Dan Goodman dsg[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]maroon.tc.umn.edu