T’was my thought also.
How about a new state? Northern PA towns don’t like Harrisburg and Philly any more than NY-ers like NYC/Albany. They could name it PenNY or NyPenn or Freeatlast...
[Keep this up and we WILL have 57 states...]
Even less likely than a transfer between states. It would be a clearly conservative state which would require two new senators, a possibility as well liked by Democrats as Conservatives feel about giving statehood to DC and Puerto Rico, which would tip the Senatorial balance the other way.