Which region is more culturally aligned with NYC (live, state, comparison)

[NearFantastica]

Western New York has Buffalo-Niagara Falls and Rochester, they share the same state as NYC. The Delaware Valley has Philadelphia, a major city that's close to NYC and many people from NYC move there. Which of these regions are more culturally aligned with NYC, your thoughts?

[masssachoicetts]

Philadelphia no doubt.

Same attitudes
Similar environments
Grimier Cities/Street Smarts
Goes to the Shore

[JahshimR]

I don't think the Delaware Valley and most specifically Philadelphia while very close in distance, couldn't be any further apart culturally. Having grew up my entire life in NYC until my 20's and moving to Philadelphia for 11 years, I always saw two distinct cultures between both places. I think there is a natural divide when it comes to NYC and Phila. Technically speaking, from the most northern border of Philadelphia to the southern most border of NYC, it's only about 60 miles apart which is about an hour or so drive.

I found that everything was different, from the accents, to the food choices, to the dress. Philadelphia takes pride in their culture and doesn't want to fall within the grasp of NYC culture.

I think the sports rivalries between NYC and Philadelphia is a big factor. There has always been a Ohio St vs Michigan type hatred between the Giants and Eagles, the Rangers and Flyers.

Also New Jersey plays a factor as New Jersey has always been like the innocent child caught in between a bad divorce. South Jersey being pulled by Philadelphia and North Jersey being pulled by NYC

Because of the close proximity between the two cities, they share a lot of aspects of the region, i.e (NJ Turnpike, Jersey Shore, commuter rail, the Poconos and other weekend getaway spots.

NYC and Philadelphia are more like siblings that fight all the time and want to be identified by themselves.

[That_One_Guy]

Philly is definitely a distinct region separate from NYC, but it is much closer to NYC, physically and culturally than Buffalo. State lines are mostly just artificial boundaries. It’s the only thing that NYC has in common with Buffalo.

There is a bit of an overlap in parts of NJ with NYC/Philly, and even a direct connection with both metro’s public transit systems. I don’t think this happens anywhere else in the US except Baltimore/DC.

[GoYanksGiantsNets]

Delaware Valley easily. West New York has more in common with Cleveland than it has with NYC. Philly and New York are the closest major cities in the US outside of Washington and Baltimore and there is massive overlap between the 2 even though they are culturally distinct.

[Bitey]

Originally Posted by JahshimR

I don't think the Delaware Valley and most specifically Philadelphia while very close in distance, couldn't be any further apart culturally. Having grew up my entire life in NYC until my 20's and moving to Philadelphia for 11 years, I always saw two distinct cultures between both places. I think there is a natural divide when it comes to NYC and Phila. Technically speaking, from the most northern border of Philadelphia to the southern most border of NYC, it's only about 60 miles apart which is about an hour or so drive.

I found that everything was different, from the accents, to the food choices, to the dress. Philadelphia takes pride in their culture and doesn't want to fall within the grasp of NYC culture.

I think the sports rivalries between NYC and Philadelphia is a big factor. There has always been a Ohio St vs Michigan type hatred between the Giants and Eagles, the Rangers and Flyers.

Also New Jersey plays a factor as New Jersey has always been like the innocent child caught in between a bad divorce. South Jersey being pulled by Philadelphia and North Jersey being pulled by NYC

Because of the close proximity between the two cities, they share a lot of aspects of the region, i.e (NJ Turnpike, Jersey Shore, commuter rail, the Poconos and other weekend getaway spots.

NYC and Philadelphia are more like siblings that fight all the time and want to be identified by themselves.

Now try the same comparison between NYC and Buffalo. If NYC and Philly are like fighting siblings, Buffalo is like the quiet, occasionally-visiting cousin who can't work out and doesn't really care what his two loudmouth sibling cousins are fighting about.

[Duderino]

Is this even objectively a debate?

As a native Philly metro-ite, I'm the first to acknowledge the distinction between it and the NYC area, but--as the prior poster phrased it--it's the relative difference that really doesn't make this a remotely close comparison.

Buffalo typifies the "Rust Belt" interior Northeast/Great Lakes. Philadelphia and New York both comprise the core of the Northeast Corridor.

I think that's all that needs to be said.

[Gaylord_Focker]

Who voted for western NY? Probably a Philly hater. AS someone not from the northeast, Philly to me is NYC lite.

[cpomp]

I grew up in the Philadelphia area and live in NYC now. Both are independent and culturally unique regions, but there are naturally similarities and overlap between them since they are geographically close and grew up together.

The siblings analogy was good, and NJ is intertwined in all of that.

[dcb175]

Originally Posted by GoYanksGiantsNets

Delaware Valley easily. West New York has more in common with Cleveland than it has with NYC. Philly and New York are the closest major cities in the US outside of Washington and Baltimore and there is massive overlap between the 2 even though they are culturally distinct.

Yes, this. Buffalo shares a license plate with NYC, that's about it. There are probably 10 metro areas more linked to NYC than Buffalo. Not that I think Philly is necessarily connected in any way outside of physical distance, but at least they share the Acela, the Northeast Corridor, the state of NJ and a few sports rivalries.