New York's Poorest, Most Forgotten Region: Upstate NY (#187)

Whenever someone mentions New York, people imagine huge, towering skyscrapers and the Statue of Liberty. They picture an urban jungle, the only place in America where you really don't need to own a car. The world knows New York as New York City, and if you were to tell someone you grew up on a dairy farm there, everyone will just be confused.

No one ever really thinks about New York STATE, but in fact NYS is far larger than New York City. The state of New York has more in common with the Rust Belt, being filled with old manufacturing towns where much of the former industry has left for overseas. It's a whole different world, even the accent changes. It's a world that the average New Yorker from the City never really visits.

Let's go see what's up there.

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#sabbatical #newyork #upstateny

[EnzroGreenidge]

This isn't just upstate NY. I spend a lot of time in upstate NY and rural Florida. There is no difference in the poverty level. Rural America has been in trouble for decades.

[Tony_Two_Time]

I've lived here in Rome for a lot of my life. About 30 years here or so.

Last week we were devastated by a Tornado right where you were.

The two big churches you saw coming over the bridge have collapsed, and many homes were destroyed.

It's difficult here because houses are so expensive, apartments with 1 or 2 bedrooms will run you about 1200-1500 a month, and most jobs here pay no more than $15 an hour.

The government pays these hotels $500 a night to house homeless.

The taxes are crushing, and local businesses can't stay here.

I'd love to answer some questions if you'd like.
Things have been really difficult here but after this disaster the community has really showed how great it is.

Thanks for covering this, it's really cool to see.

[patriciamurphy]

FYI: We work hard in New York State. Most of us make minimum wage. We don't make enough to keep our houses up. We can barely put food on our table.

[loishilliard]

Western NY is absolutely gorgeous. I am a boomer, moved to central FL, lived there 20 years until covid did its number on population increase. Moved back to western NY because I needed a more relaxed way of life. We have a farmers market, open 3 days a week, 4 seasons, mom & pop dinners, REAL Italian restaurants, nice people, and competent doctors that are not in a hurry. I love it here.

[jeannovacco]

The destruction of small towns and Manufacturing across America was not just about sending jobs overseas it was about sending capital and management skills and intellectual property and machine tools that were reverse engineered. What we got back was cheap kitchen utensils and party paper goods in dollar stores -- and of course appliances that are engineered for planned obsolescence and fall apart in five to seven years and can't be repaired because the circuit boards go first.
Don't believe the rhetoric that Americans in small towns or in laboring jobs were left behind. They were sold out, and it's still happening.

NYC still has big tax bases of Corporations to pay property taxes for municipal budgets, but people living upstate have to vote in referendums and elections for budgets for services like snow plowing hundreds of miles of Roads and paying for school districts -- at working people with low salaries and indebted Farmers still have to pay high sales tax and personal income tax to New York State.
It should be two states.

[Rossdesigns]

My family has been living in rural New York for hundreds of years. Farming, factory work, or commuting all the way to Albany was viable for a while to make a living, but now there's no hope. This is the worse its ever been and its a crisis. No jobs or industry and the only way for small towns to generate income is with ridiculous property taxes. We pay more property tax on a 0.4 acre village home (no restaurants, 1 convenience store, 1 school, almost NO PUBLIC SERVCIES) than what we pay for a suburban Massachusetts home double the size in one of the nicest towns in the country. The private sector does not go upstate, the best employer in New York State is the State...

[natemundt]

Rochester native here. Upstate is definitely a tale of two different visions. We have some of the most beautiful nature you can find in the Eastern U.S. The Finger Lakes, Adirondacks, Thousand Islands, Hudson Valley and the Catskills are all breathtaking. On the other side, is the bad part. Lots of companies (IBM, Kodak, Xerox, etc) that were formerly huge are now in shambles. Thus, a lot of areas losing so many jobs. We’re slowly rebuilding, but there are definitely a lot of depressing and dilapidated areas. Thanks for shedding light on this

[RyansVlogsYT]

I lived in Auburn NY for my whole life right in the center of Upstate NY. It’s sad to see we are almost forgotten but I’m here

[turbostatic]

It almost impossible to explain how much we lost in moving literally ALL manufacturing overseas.

[shakeymikesadventures]

As Someone who ha lived in upstate ny for 57+yrs Tommy you are just scratching the surface. If you need someone to show you around and tell alot of stories of the different areas I have lived Let me know.
I as well as most upstaters feel exactly the same way as you do about separating nyc/Li from nys, taxes and the over inflated prices are definitely a negative for our economy.

[christopherbailey]

I live in Northern New York on the border with Canada. We have been forgotten by our state government. The biggest employers are schools, hospitals, prisons, and government run programs. Industry is gone, we had papermills, foundries, mining, lumber mills, etc. The state is now closing the prisons, emptying the mental facilities and dumping homeless people on our streets in the middle of the night.

[Whoo]

"What region, Seymour?"

"Upstate New York!"

"Really?? ...Well, I'm from Utica, and I've never heard anyone use the phrase, 'Steamed hams'!"

"Oh, no- not from Utica! It's an Albany expression"

[franbrinda]

I remember factory jobs. When a man could work and support his family. Wife stayed home, 3 kids, a car, house, vacations. The good ole days. .

[rockroc]

Upstate New York is absolutely beautiful.

[natebaird]

I grew up in a town one over from Amsterdam and actually went to a private school in Amsterdam. It's always been like this. I couldn't wait to get out; if you stay, you're basically signing up for a life with little options. Most of my acquaintances from high school who stuck around either got hooked on drugs, got a girl pregnant at 19, or killed themselves. I go back to see family occasionally but I can feel the heaviness in the air every time I come back. Thanks for walking around and documenting it.

[johnhritcko]

Tom, I check out a lot of your videos and just randomly came across this one. I was blown away that you visited the Triple Cities (Endicott, Binghamton, Johnson City). I was born and reared in Endicott from the mid 1950's but left the region in the mid-70's after graduating from college. In fact, my childhood home sits just about a half mile from the IBM facilities you recorded in Endicott. Back then, it was a great place to grow up. It's a shame how the region disintegrated. Back then, IBM, GE, GAF, Link Aviation (they made pilot trainers for the government) were all booming. As you pointed out, IBM began manufacturing operations in Endicott, so this can be considered the original "Silicon Valley." Unfortunately, the region began to slowly atrophy in the late 70's along with the rest of the US "Rust Belt." Blame globalization and idiotic state government policies that financially bled the region from Albany. I doubt that the area will ever thrive as it once did, but Upstate NY is blessed with beautiful geography with many lakes, forests, gorges and water falls, etc. making it a wonderful summer tourist destination. (winters can be brutal) In any event, good job on this post.

[DavidCrescent]

I've lived in upstate (western) NY for over 30 years. Central and east-central NY seems to be affected the most by depopulation. But it should be a crime to assume that the ENTIRE UPSTATE REGION looks as it's depicted in this video. There are some absolutely breathtaking towns located along the finger lakes (Skaneateles, Watkins Glen) and some amazing towns in WNY (Ellicottville, Hamburg) that look nothing like this. You should do another video showcasing some of the beautiful towns and villages located in the same region. Instead of towns affected by depopulation due to the loss of factories.

[niiightshadeee]

This is where I’m from, born and raised in greater Rochester area. Drugs, crime, gang activity, poor governance & policy, and lack of jobs have just completely destroyed a huge portion of this state. There are still many good little pockets that exist, but it has been irreparably changed in a lot of ways. So good to see you exploring upstate NY and bringing attention to these commonly overlooked lands.

[seanevans]

American decay, brought to you by globalization and good old fashioned corporate greed.

[charlessawyer]

Tell me you haven’t spent time in rural America without telling me you haven’t spent time in rural America.