yeah I mean, the border of upstate/downstate has always been a heated debate. there are a lot of people in nyc and long island who consider the bronx 'upstate'. I love hearing the perspectives from people like yourself in the north country who consider albany to not be upstate but just part of the hudson valley.
if you ask me, coming north from nyc, it starts when you begin to see no signs of suburbia, plenty of fields....and the amount of jobs/quality of living plummets compared to counties directly south.