Family with friendly dog celebrating 4th of July in Upstate NY

Welcome Home.

Upstate New York is emerging as one of the most vibrant, versatile, and dynamic regions to call “home.” We are centrally located, globally-connected, and ready to welcome the next generation of transplants ready to plant roots. And, we make great neighbors!

Upstate Is For Dreamers

We are dreamers, and we are doers. Kevin Green, Director of the Oneida County Youth Bureau, says, “That’s what this place is all about. We can develop elite individuals. We can develop people who are willing to work, willing to get after it, and if you come here with that attitude, you have the opportunity to maybe get the key to the city.”

Live Upstate

Whether you enjoy the vibe and energy of downtown living; or if rolling hills, breathtaking landscapes, and the peace and quiet of country living is more your style, Upstate New York is the place for you.

The Upstate area offers a rich mixture of housing, neighborhood, and community possibilities- Urban, Suburban, Rural, Farmland, and New Developments are all options here. Are you looking for a 19th Century estate or Farmhouse echoing with rich history and vintage craftsmanship? Or is a new, hip, and trendy Downtown Loft with every modern amenity your heart desires and an amazing view of the city more your style? Either way, we’ve got you covered!

Work Upstate

Opportunity awaits! Business, commerce, manufacturing, and economic production in Upstate New York is THRIVING. Our area is experiencing a revitalization like never before, and you can FEEL it in the air. National brands, small businesses, start-ups, expansions, and entrepreneurs alike are flocking to our area to take advantage of the vigor, momentum, tight-knit community and outpouring of local support.

With modern industries, upgraded amenities, a new medical campus, large New York State investments, a renewed focus on our Downtowns, innovative recreational spaces, and career openings in every job sector, there’s never been a better time to work with us Upstaters!

Explore Upstate

Prepare yourself for a journey filled with adventure, discovery, majestic outdoor scenery, and some of the most delicious cuisine you’ve ever experienced. Nature abounds in Upstate New York-with stunning mountains, miles of hiking trails, cascading waterfalls, and glistening lakes as far as the eye can see. A paradise for outdoor enthusiasts, Upstate New York presents endless, seasonal activities for all to embark on.

Culture, art, and cuisine all flourish astoundingly, equally matching the grandeur of the Outdoors. The diversity and revival of our area is most lavishly embodied in our cultural festivals, art exhibitions, and rich variety of ethnic eateries and local mom and pop style restaurants.

Tour Upstate

The best way to feel our vibe is to experience it yourself! Break out of your routine for a weekend getaway, a family outing, or a day quest to restore your energy and fall in love with our area. Treat yourself to some fresh mountain air, a cultural exhibit, and a legendary local dish.

It’s time to visit Upstate New York and we’ve got the perfect itinerary for you based on your hobbies and interests!

People Are Talking!

We asked if anyone wanted to share their story about Upstate NY, and boy did they ever! In fact, we designated some of them “Ambassadors!” So learn more about our area through their storytelling. Oh, and check out our blog features throughout the site for even more tips on what to do and where to go!

What's up, Sharrone?

Age: 30s
Occupation: Restaurant Owner, The Compound in Utica, NY
Location: New Hartford, NY
Interests: Food, Music, Real Estate
What do you love about living here?: What’s not to love? 4 real seasons, a quiet life, enough culture to go around, and honestly being close enough to whatever we need whenever we want.
Favorite, local “must-visit” hot spots: I think I have to say The Compound here for the sake of shameless self-promotion! Otherwise I love Fly Creek Cider Mill, Tailor & The Cook, basically all of Old Forge but especially The Candy Cottage. The historicity of the buildings in the greater utica area, even just the houses, is impossible to overstate. I’m also strangely drawn to Fort Stanwix in Rome, NY but I couldn’t tell you why!

What's up, Tabo?

Age: 20s
Occupation: Student, Delivery Driver for Parkway Drugs and Site Tutor for Young Scholars
Location: Utica, NY
Interests: Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), Poetry and Creative Arts, Producing and Partaking in Nomatic Voices-an arts organization in Utica
What do you love about living here?: I love living here because of the many communities that I consider my family. I love the diversity. I love how accepting Utica can be to immigrants and refugees. I love the different varieties of food. I love that Utica is such a small city which gives individual opportunities but also not too small to where there is nothing to do.
Favorite, local “must-visit” hot spots: Pho Mekong, Heart of Cambodia, Venice Pizzeria, Pho Vietnam, Soul 112!

What's up, Hanka?

Age: 30s
Occupation: Educator K-12- Student Affairs Officer, Certified Trainer, Coach & Speaker in leadership with the John Maxwell team.
Location: Utica, NY
Interests: Family, Travel, Community
What do you love about living here?: Utica has the best people and they are what makes our city so great! I love our Diversity and how welcoming we are. I love food and living in a small place where everyone knows each other.
Favorite, local “must-visit” hot spots:I love walking downtown from the Stanley Theater to Ocean Blue, then going to North Utica and visiting other restaurants like Babes and Tavolo and the Erie Canal Trail.

What's up, Frank?

Age: 70s
Occupation: VP of MVCC, lifelong entrepreneur, co-founder and owner of Comets, Utica City FC, Babes, 72 tavern, etc etc
Location: Utica, NY
Interests: Quality of life here in Oneida County
Start Up opportunities for individuals
Mentoring individuals who never thought they could start a successful business in Utica and live here.
What do you love about living here?: I love the quality of life here, the opportunities to be a success here, the willingness of others to help each other, the food, the Adirondacks, the professional sports teams, the closeness to NYC and Boston. The great education opportunities here and the ethnicity.
Favorite, local “must-do" activities: walk the canal, golf at Valley view, boat in Old Forge, Utica Comets and Utica College Hockey, Utica City FC, MWPAI, eat at all the local ethnic restaurants.

What's up, Britta & Devlin?

Age: 30s
Occupation: Business Owner
Location: Old Forge, NY
Tell Us About Yourself: Devlin and I moved to Old Forge from NYC 7 years ago to renovate and rebrand a historical resort property on fourth lake. My background is in fashion and aesthetic and his is in marketing. We built Great Pines and own/operate it. In that time we had two boys, Olin who is 4 and Vale who is 2. We are a true outdoors family and spend most of our time exploring the forest behind our house or skiing on McCauley.
What do you love about living here?: The beauty of nature never gets old. I get asked a lot if it does and it truly does not. On a Monday morning in September when the busy weekend is over and we are the only ones on our lake you feel like the luckiest person in the world.
Favorite, local “must-do" activities: Ski McCauley, boat fourth lake, seventh lake beach, hike Ferds Bog.

What's up, Laura?

Age: 40s
Occupation: Music Audiologist
Location: Utica, NY
Tell Us About Yourself: I grew up in Utica and went to the Utica Public Schools. When I left in the late 90s I didn't think I would ever come back. I lived in Taiwan, Europe Colorado Chicago and New York City. I moved back with my family during the pandemic with my partner who is Panamanian, and her two young children. I still thought we wouldn't stay, but now that we have been here for over a year we have no plans to leave.
What do you love about living here?: So much... The four seasons, the super close proximity to not just the Adirondacks but trails in our own backyard like Sherrill brook park and Root Glen in Clinton, cultural events from Latino to Irish to Ukrainian, jazz clubs like Tiny's, the plethora of nice playgrounds, and the Affordable homes. And Hemstraughts and Wisk Bakery.
Favorite, local “must-visit" hot spots: Tailor and the Cook, Wisk Bakery, Stanley Theater, Root Glen in Clinton, Utica Coffee, Scandinavian Designs gift shop, thINCubator if you work from home

Now, Where is Upstate, Again?

This is a hotly debated question. In the general sense, Upstate NY is the area north of the New York City metropolitan area. But in our world, Upstate NY is Oneida and Herkimer counties and the immediate outlying areas. We’re owning it.

We are located in the north-central part of the state. Utica, Rome, Herkimer, and Little Falls are just some of our larger municipalities with an overall combined population of just under 300,000. Just hours away from New York City, Boston, Toronto, Montreal, Buffalo, and Burlington, our location makes weekend getaways or even day trips accessible – not to mention a beautiful drive! If you’d rather sit back and relax, no worries as we have two Amtrak stations and two nearby airports in Syracuse and Albany.