Home rule gives local governments the authority to make and change laws relating to "property, affairs, or government" as well as jurisdiction over local matters such as health, safety, and the general well being of citizen. Home rule only applies when the issue only affects local residents. There is no clear official boundary between Upstate New York and Downstate New York. The most expansive definition of the Upstate New York region excludes only New York City and Long Island, which are always considered to be part of Downstate New York; this usage is common among New York City residents and significantly less farther north. [15] This definition is used by the Department of Environmental Conservation. [16] A cheeky joke among Manhattanites is that anything north of 14th Street is "upstate". [17] [18]

But statistics point otherwise. The Center for Governmental Research released a recent report that showed that New York City "contributes significantly more in revenue than it receives in state funds." In the winter, this area turns into a blissful winter wonderland where the powdery snow piles up several feet in the area. In the winter you can walk on the frozen lake, go ice fishing, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, and most popularly? Snowmobiling at Charlie’s Inn!Local government powers have to be given from the state," said Michael Schill, Professor of Law and Urban Planning at New York University. Rent control remains, in the words of the state constitution, "a significant matter of state concern" that the state does not wish to give up. Schill added that "the issue is not unique to New York." Cities like Boston and Los Angeles have faced similar battles with state government.

NYS Geography". How the Other Third Lives: A Focus on Upstate New York. Lewis Mumford Center, University at Albany. Archived from the original on September 15, 2015 . Retrieved November 6, 2015.The headwaters of the Delaware, Susquehanna, Mohawk, Hudson, and Allegheny rivers are located in the region. Several regions Upstate are characterized by major mountain ranges, large lakes, and extensive forests. NY Urbanized Area Maps: Area and Density" (PDF). Pad.human.cornell.edu. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 13, 2018 . Retrieved October 23, 2016. Salvatore, Abigail (October 24, 2018). "Economic gap widens between upstate and downstate New York". Empire Center for Public Policy . Retrieved February 28, 2023. But the upstate-downstate tension is more than just a feud between rural Republicans and urban Democrats. ( State Assemblyman John Ravitz attests to what it is like to be a downstate Republican in the midst of this fray) Taub, Julian (August 17, 2013). "The Iroquois Are Not Giving Up". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on January 22, 2021 . Retrieved February 8, 2021.

The government of the new State of New York seized the property of New Yorkers who had remained loyal to the British crown. Thousands emigrated to colonies that remained under British rule, such as Nova Scotia and the newly established Upper Canada (now Ontario). Haudenosaunee who had fought with the British also fled. The British Crown granted a large tract of land in Upper Canada to their Haudenosaunee allies, who established the Grand River settlement.Ski country (the northern boundary of the Southern Tier, includes Cortland, Clymer and Ellicottville)