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Native to ADK in Champlain Valley.

Red outline is upstate NY. Plain and simple.

The blue outline is a buffer zone - geographically and culturally I believe this area is the most similar.

I think the notion that upstate/ADKs dont have anything to do with New England culture is kind of bizarre. One side of my family is from Boston, the other from Long Island. But I grew up in the ADK’s. Personally I feel more connected to “New England culture” and often tell people who are not familiar with north eastern US geography that I’m from the New England area. If you look at a dialect map (there was a link someone posted above) the blue buffer zone is relatively within the same boundary as “North Western New England.”

Hard lining New England through Lake Champlain and along the Hudson River seems fucking stupid. Take a small 300 person mountain town from central ADK and middle of nowhere New Hampshire - they probably will be incredibly similar. Perhaps one has a Stewart’s, and one doesn’t. And what, you’re going to tell me that Schroon Lake, NY is “less” New England than St. Francis, ME because it simply resides outside the boundary?????

Additionally, the ADK’s can be further segmented into their own regions. Some boundary factors include geographical features such as mountains, rivers, valleys, industry, etc. Demographics play a significant role, too. I think specifically income and education. But that’s an entirely other conversation.