sense of place

[redbird]

I am disproportionately amused and pleased that cattitude's parents, in Schenectady (where the ideas come from [1]), have sent us a winter holiday card with a picture of Central Park.

It's not labeled "Central Park", and it's entirely possible they didn't recognize it as such: but I've lived here all my life, and recognize that view from inside the park.

[1] OK, technically they're not in Schenectady, but I think a grand total of five people reading this have ever heard of Niskayuna, and I think of them as being in Schenectady, which I had heard of before I knew anyone living there [2].

[2] *friendly wave* at kate_nepveu

Comments

[moominmuppet.livejournal.com]

Make it six... I have friends who lived in Schenectady, and I've heard of Niskayuna.

[kate_nepveu]

*waves back* from cold and rainy Niskayuna

[calimac.livejournal.com]

Where exactly I say I'm from depends on how far from home I am when I say it. In town, people know neighborhoods. On other continents, they may only know the big city 40 miles away.

[adrian-turtle.livejournal.com]

I know Niskayuna, too! (I used to go to the doctor there. That doctor was worth the trip from Troy, though not from Somerville.) When I lived in that area, some friends of mine lived very near the boundary between Schenectedy and Niskayuna. They discovered that mail would be delivered regardless of what town name was on the envelope, so long as it had the right street address and ZIP code. So they claimed Niskayuna for spelling. (Fortunately, the town did not claim property taxes for the priviledge.) More than half the people on the block seemed to do the same thing, though not in any organized way.

[papersky.livejournal.com]

Well, they're in New York, why shouldn't they send cards with Central Park on?

I think New York State, or "Upstate", is very badly served by sharing a name with such a famous city. I think it's pretty enough to be a place of its own, with a name, though the one I came up with, Terre D'Or, perhaps sounds too much like "terror". Besides, while it has a historical French connection, and Quebec right next door, there's probably more Spanish there these days, so maybe El Dorado would be better.

I bet they'd get more visitors!