if you stay out of the cities it's pretty much all pro Trump / anti cuomo...
Posted on 09/09/2018 6:59:03 PM PDT by Vinylly
Here is where we spent our vacation and the impressions for the first time in upstate New York. We got off the airplane at the Buffalo airport where we rented a car. From our first impressions of the countryside in route Chautauqua was wonderful. We marveled at the vineyards and cornfields, everything was so green and fresh with clean fresh air, and blue skies. We passed through small villages with Victorian houses and old steepled churches like you would see in picture postcards. What struck me most about these villages were every house seemed to fly the American flag from their front porch, even American flags flying from utility poles So, my question is, how do the country folk in upstate New York feel about politics? I would like any of you on this website who lives there reply. When we talk about New York we think New York City. The countryside seems to be so much different, it's unbelievable.
Keep in mind that 90% of NY State is “upstate NY.” Most of upstate NY is completely different than NYC.
I grew up not far from Chautauqua Lake, and went go there every year to/from out family reunion. It is God’s Country when it comes to beauty. One reason we retired in eastern TN is because it’s so similar to western NY, without the taxes. Scenery. People’s attitudes.
There is a snobby, artsy-fartsy, ultra lib enclave at Chautauqua — “The Institution” or something like that.
A couple years ago we flew in to Buffalo. A couple minutes after leaving the airport we saw a truck flying a Confederate flag.
Growing up in Brentwood, you just knew that the whole town was if you will on the wrong side of the tracks, etc. High School, was approx. 1/3 White, 1/3 Black, 1/3 Puerto Rican, I'm in that third group. At the time, it was the largest population of Puerto Rican's, outside of Puerto Rico. We had ARMED, SUFFOLK County cops at the High School, and they were needed, I'm talking 1968-69.
When my parents sold their home (Approx. 1972,) sale of the house was contingent upon REMOVAL OF THE SWIMMING POOL. (16' Ft Wide X 32' Ft. Long, 4' Ft. to 7-1/2' Ft. Deep.) You might think well the new owner's didn't want the hassle of owning a pool. NOPE, they wanted the pool, THEY COULDN'T AFFORD THE TAXES ON THE POOL, in the Ghetto no less. Oh, and by the way, nothing much has changed, only gotten worse, and taxes last time I checked on that house they were approx. $12,000.00 a year.
Like you I'm living in Western Washington, Stanwood area, approx 35 miles North of Everett, 50 miles to Seattle.
if you stay out of the cities it's pretty much all pro Trump / anti cuomo...
where did you go in Watkins?
I don’t know that this is relevant, but I’ve visited Upstate NY, and PGR88’s post really hit home. When we travel, we like to talk to locals as much as possible, and we were really surprised to find out that everyone we talked to came from families who went way back. There has been little in-migration, but, apparently lots of out-migration.
I know I saw a lot of “Repeal the Safe Act” signs when we were there.
Now, I live in WalMart ground zero, iow, NW Arkansas, and I don’t, in my 61 years here recall ever seeing a New York license plate. Lately, I can’t go for even a short drive without seeing several. Never had the opportunity to talk with the drivers, but I’m still trying. I’m curious what brought them here. Probably WalMart, but I’d still like to talk to them...
One more thing: Upstate NY is a beautiful region for the spring and summer months, and the autumn colors are spectacular, but the winters are brutal!
We stayed at the WG Harbor Hotel. We were actually visiting somebody 25 miles to the east, in the City of Evil, but I refused to stay there.
Much of western Massachusetts is like that, too. I hate to admit it, but upstate New York may be prettier. Western Massachusetts also has its share of Trumpicania, including 6’ x 8’ yard signs. We drove through Hubbardston leafing during the autumn of 2016, and the main drive had American flags flying from every light pole, and numerous Trump yard signs. Just to south lies Zoo-Mass Amherst. The problem with Massachusetts is the huge education racket that dominants many towns’ economies.
Back to New York, the country around Rochester is beautiful, but the city votes Democrat. Buffalo, Albany, Rochester are all liberal. The New York metropolitan area includes Long Island and Westchester, all pretty much Democrat.
There was a problem dismantling the old bridge that endangers the new one, that lead to at least a temporary closure. Also, the locals do not universally accept the name of the new bridge, Mario Cuomo.
good for you... friday was the Vintage Festival and main streets was blocked for the cars, did you get to see any?
Please: it’s the Mario Cuomo bridge now!
I’m originally from Chautauqua County and still visit regularly. Everything you write about western New York is true except for Chautauqua itself, which is an enclave of wealthy elitist liberals. About 25 years ago they took over the summer program and usually schedule wacky leftest scientists, philosophers and theologians to speak. The rare exception is opening Sunday when you can enjoy the music of the US Army Field Band and Chorus. If oddballs are you thing, check out Lily Dale.
I live near Buffalo which is not UPSTATE. From approx. the finger lakes west is considered Western New York. I consider anything west of Syracuse western NY. Outside of Buffalo proper it is mostly conservative in Erie County. A presidential map shows that most of NY is conservative outside the big cities.
Time to unload some truth about the Northeast.
I’m from Connecticut. Now living in NEPA but I’m going to move because my 4 year old daughter is the only native Pennsylvanian here.
New York, Connecticut, Vermont, Rhode Island, New Jersey - And of course Massachussetts doesn’t even have a right wing.
They have “But Republicans”.
Whenever someone says the word “But” they are telling you that every word before it is a lie. The Northeast has plenty of people flying flags and praising Americana - well, their version of Americana which I’ll get to in just a sec - and overall making you think that they are all around good people.
Ask them about their opinions on certain things... “Guns are ok BUT we need to do something about mental health” and “Abortion is bad, but sometimes if the life of the mother is at stake or a rape is involved it’s ok to consider”
These are pretenders. I’m in NEPA and I will meet with anyone in this thread because I can prove this point face to face within about 5 minutes.
NY and NJ have completely taken over NEPA. Everyone here is a transplant. I’m retreating further.
I do a morning run every morning on my rural PA road. No other houses, just my neighbor’s farm.
PA doesn’t require a front licence plate. In fact, they don’t even supply them.
There are more cars here from NY and NJ than PA. That’s not a joke.
When I’m running the cars with no front plate get to the other side of the road all the time. The ones with front plates drive within inches of me. All the time. The licence plate on the front tells you what kind of interaction you’re about to have.
NYers and NJites are the worst kind of people in every regard. I have friends there, lots of clients (I work in NY from LI to Albany) and I like them all. They are just the best of the worst.
If anyone thinks that CT is beautiful needs to take a ride around the US for a bit. All of CT is a ghetto. There are parts of cities that people say “Oh no, man.. don’t go there” that are better than all of southern CT. Northern CT is nice but also the crime statistics tell a tale of far eastern poverty-stricken Kentucky, Northern West Virginia or south-east Arkanasas. These are all stunningly pretty places (Which CT really is not) but the economic conditions make it bad for property crime if not violent crime.
All of CT is very close to the area in and around Detroit.
We pulled into Watkins Glenn and there were a lot of older people walking around, drinking and listening to a bad. Was that the Vintage Festival? LOL.
Most of our time we spent back in the City of Evil with our kid at Cornell.
Are you from Watkins Glenn?
Suffolk County on LI voted Trump.
Staten Island voted for Trump by 16 percentage points.
Not in Central NY. The children of the locals have fled. Federal institutions sprang up, welfare cases moved into the vacuum. Opiod use exploded and there are neck tattoos everywhere.
there were at least 15,000 people there during height of the day when the cars were going around the old track...
Jaguar was the marque car of the weekend
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