Mamdani is going on vacation ‘Upstate’ — reigniting debate about where that even is
They’re just north of nitpicky.
Mayor Mamdani announced Wednesday he’s going on vacation “Upstate” next week— reigniting a heated, hyper-specific debate about where exactly the region begins.
“The mayor will be in upstate New York enjoying time with family,” City Hall said of the trip, from Aug. 16 to 23. “First Deputy Mayor Dean Fuleihan will lead day-to-day operations until the mayor’s return.”
The news sparked an argument on X about where the invisible border of Upstate New York begins.
“This brings up a great question IMO: Where exactly IS upstate New York?” tweeted Gothamist reporter Jon Campbell.
“Anything North of Bronx County, naturally,” one apparent New Yorker replied — as another quipped, “He’s going to Yonkers.”
“Where the Metro North train ends,” a third user chimed in.
“Above 14th Street,” another teased.
“Upstate New York — so Yonkers or White Plains?” Katie Honan, a reporter for City & State New York, wrote with a wink in response to the announcement.
The debate over where “Upstate” begins has been simmering for years, with Westchester County residents notoriously thin-skinned about being told they’re on the north side of cool.
The City Hall reps and media members have weighed in on the debate, with answers ranging from “beyond Yankee Stadium” to above the Hudson Valley.
While there’s no official geographic demarcation, others have said some towns that are geographically more south, such as “Poughkeepsie,” simply feel spiritually “Upstate.”
Mamdani declined to say exactly where he was headed after a press conference Wednesday morning.
His NYPD detail is also expected to go with him.