The Other New York: Revisiting Upstate

I grew up in a place most people think is mythical.

Best described as a charming village with one stoplight* and a school K-12, Morris is full of memories and this summer I had the chance to revisit my childhood hometown.

Ask any of my friends and they’ll tell you they’ve heard all about the legendary village. Where a ten-minute walk to the post-office can last an hour because you run into so many people you know; where your culinary entertainment comes in the form of an ice cream store, pizzeria, or coffee shop; and where there are only two seasons: winter and construction.

Upstate New York has thick leaf laden woods, stretched out rows of corn, and strong wooden fences along miles of farmland and rolling hills. In the few months snow takes a vacation, it is the most beautiful place in the world.

I spent fourteen years in Morris, a driveway’s length away from the school and minutes away from all the downtown action. It’s a place where everyone knows everyone and you wouldn’t want it any other way. Winters consisted of shoveling snow, sledding, and snowball fights, while summers were laced with bike rides, walks through the woods, and laying poolside.

Before a jaunt to New York City for a concert, my brother and I ventured back to Morris, in the heart of the Butternut Valley. If you’re flying into upstate, consider the Albany, Binghamton, Syracuse, or Buffalo airports, depending on your final destination. We snagged a cheap deal to Albany, the state capital, for $99 one-way from El Paso via Southwest. Sign up for the Click ‘n Save e-mail updates for spotlight destinations and deals on flights.

We stayed with great friends of the family in Morris for two nights (many thanks to the Birdsall and Bourgeois families!). Hotel accommodation is hard to come by if you’re looking to stay in a small town. Bed and breakfasts are the way to go if you want to avoid the cities. Here’s a useful site full of B and B’s in New York.

Any town you go to in upstate will have a resident pizza place and Morris is no exception. Though we didn’t go this time round, if you’re in the area, you need to check out Nina’s Pizzeria. We’ve been told it has gone downhill, but back in the day it had superior pizza (plus, it’s all good to me considering I live in the Southwest, where acceptable pizza is hard to come by). Order anything, you can’t go wrong: from the BBQ Rib Pizza to the hot wings, pepperoni rolls to the garlic knots, this local legend has it all. We rocked the very similar New York Pizzeria in New Berlin, a neighboring town, and it lived up to all glorious expectations.

Upstate is all about the day trips. Pick a home base and plan on driving to nearby points of interest—the most important one being Cooperstown, home to the Baseball Home of Fame. I use it as a point of reference when people ask where I’m from because this tourist attraction is merely 30 minutes away from Morris and world renowned. You can easily spend a day here wandering in and out of baseball themed shops, eating at little cafes, or taking advantage of photo-ops at Otsego Lake or Doubleday Field.

Or you can pull a Vic and go see a terrific tarot-card reader. I’m not the feng-shuing, incense burning, Ouija board playing type, but trust me on this one…the psychic was incredible. For forty dollars she can unfold your future and shed light on your present. E-mail me for further details.

If baseball isn’t your thing (shame on you), but you still want a dose of sports, you can visit the Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta. The 40,000 square foot museum was reconstructed in the 90's and I was there in June 1999 when it opened its doors. Haven’t been back since, but at the time it was full of memorabilia and interactive activities.

Our stay in Morris was a pleasant one as we caught up with friends around a bonfire and revisited old familiar sites. We left on a Friday for Utica, an hour north of the village, for a Moe concert at the Saranac Brewery. If you can manage to catch a show there, it’s worth it as the venue is fun and the brews are tasty. Otherwise, I would suggest skipping Utica—or any other major city in upstate. Except for Albany, which proved to be a nice stop in our tour of NY.

It was great to visit, but I’m glad to keep upstate in my past. Next stop: New York City, a place I love to hate.


*Morris now has two stoplights, sparking my qualm about its apparent rise in modernity.


(Pictured right: my old house, The Grove, in Morris, New York)


These videos were made for Alicia, who sadly couldn't make it to Morris, but has always wanted to experience that small town feel. Video 1 of Morris:



Video 2 of Morris: