From: becki@Ingres.COM (Rebecca E. Tants)
Subject: Re: What the heck is "Upstate"? (more NYC-bashing...)
Reply-To: becki@squid.ingres.com (Rebecca E. Tants)
Organization: Ingres, The ASK Group
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL5
Date: 30 Dec 92 22:43:23 GMT

Al Selvin (selvin@nynexst.com) wrote:
: In article auFkwB2w165w@netlink.cts.com, rcf@netlink.cts.com writes:
: >of evil in the world (NYC being, of course, the source of *all* evil in 
: >the world).  
: >bit [despite Buffalo's posturing over chicken wings]).  I must say, it's 
: >nice to run into other people who find NYC an abomination. 
: 
: As someone who has lived in upstate (by some definitions) NY (Rochester and
: (currently) Dutchess County), as well as in the midwest (Michigan, Wisconsin,
: Missouri) I have to say this kind of NYC-bashing is tiresome. Many people
: 
: NYC has severe problems, no doubt about it. It also has more to offer than
: any city on the planet. I don't usually flame, but in my experience, people
: who bash NYC have either never been there or are ignorant, racist, or have 
: a psychological problem of some sort.
: 
: Can we give this tedious vitriol a rest?

urgh - 

1) don't tell me or anyone else how to feel about anything.  I have a rather 
intense dislike of NYC and you have no right to tell me not to feel that.

2) As someone who currently lives in San Francisco, I am well aware of the fact
that citys in general can offer some wonderful things.  NYC however is the
WORST city I've ever lived in.  It's a dirty crime-filled place which 
economiccally cripples the rest of the state and returns little.  I've lived
in Washington DC, NYC and San Francisco, and now have NO DOUBT that you
can get the few good things that NYC provides without all the bad things
that come with it.  Washington has bad crime stats, but it isn't pulling down
any associated states.  and SF is nowhere near as dirty and crime-filled.  I
rather like SF, since it has all the cultural advantages.

3) You may feel NYC has "more to offer than any city on the planet" but i 
disagree and challange you to find some proof of that statement.  it's your
opinion.

4) Lastly, as someone raised in upstate ny (Burnt Hills, just south of 
Ballston Spa and just north of Schenectady), I am intimately familiar with
the difference in culture and goals between the residents of the city and
those of the rest of the state.  My father always used to ssay that he'd
give 'them' anything to become their own stat - the name, the govenor (they
elected him, after all) and almost anything else they wanted - because 
the long term goals of the two are so completely different that they can't
be satisfacterally blended.  I agree.  NYC has hurt the rest of the state
both monitarily and in the direction it moves.  (i won't even get INTO the
whole 'you are from NY?  what's it like to live in that big a city?  do you go 
to 5th ave often?' thing....it's like the rest of the state has no identity!)

enough of this - you are also entitled to your opinion, and if you want to
worship NYC fine.  but you have no right to tell those of us who don't to
be quiet about it.  this isn't alt.culture.nyc.

becki

Newsgroups: alt.culture.electric-midget