Where Does “Upstate” Start?
In answer to the question, “Where does Upstate New York start?” (Ask Westchester): Although the term “Upstate New York” is loosely defined, there are some practical boundaries used by various agencies. The Census Bureau defines the northern limit of the New York City area as the Croton River. This would put the far northern part of Westchester County, including the Village of Croton-on-Hudson, the Town of Cortlandt Manor, and the City of Peekskill into Upstate New York.
Auto insurance companies set the boundary as Route 287. Cars garaged north of that road generally cost less to insure than cars garaged south of Route 287. But the Census Bureau also defines the larger New York Metropolitan Area as including the counties of New York City, Long Island, Westchester, Rockland, Orange, Dutchess, Putnam, and the adjacent counties in New Jersey, a far greater area.
So it all depends on the message you want to send and the people you want to influence. When we bought our house 50 years ago in the northern fringe of Westchester, the area was clearly described as “Upstate.” It is hardly country any more. But it is not New York City, either. When people ask where in New York State we live, the best answer we can give is the Hudson Valley. It’s a term just as ambiguous as “Upstate” used to be.
In the Swim
I was very happy to see that you recognized Gerald Cox’s talents as a swim instructor at Club Fit last month. However, I wanted to let your readers know that Marc Quintiliani, another swim instructor at Briarcliff’s Club Fit, is terrific in his own right. He has been a patient and caring instructor for my five-year-old. He has helped my son gain great confidence in himself as he has developed his swimming skills. So Club Fit’s aquatic director, Scott Karsen, doesn’t need to clone Gerald; he has an equally impressive instructor in Marc!
