Understanding Upstate

This week we've got a showdown for the ages, it's the battle of the ice cream sundae as we figure out who got the scoop on this delicious desert! Was it Ithaca, NY with their cherry on top or Two Rivers, WI with a little drizzle of chocolate? We'll figure out how we went from sunday to sundae , and how the frozen treat became so popular, all while Rob takes a hard stance on Baskin Robi...

It's the second episode in our double header focusing all on baseball in Upstate New York, which means we are of course going to talk all about the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, NY. Not only that, but Rob offers a rare retraction (don't get used to it), and we get into the myth centered in Upstate NY behind baseball's elusive origins. Check out Jim's com...

There’s nothing minor about today’s episode because we are talking all about Binghamton’s own Minor League Baseball team, the Rumble Ponies! We’ll get into the history of the team, the rise and fall of Penn-New York League, and all the crazy dealings that have played a part in shaping minor league baseball in Upstate New York. Check out Jim's comedy album:  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Upstate Understand...

This week Jim and Rob cover a brand new documentary that chronicles the Binghamton Patriots underdog march towards two back to back Basketball State Championships in the mid 80's. Watch The Pats' Big March here Check out Jim's comedy album:  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Upstate Understandings⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Also check out Rob's album:  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠NY Sticky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

We're headed back to Binghamton for another great episode! This time we're covering The Roberson Museum. From the museum's original benefactor (and now resident ghost), to the Roberson's mix of exhibits highlighting Binghamton's history and culture, to it's mind blowing train set (that's right, MIND BLOWING TRAIN SET), we get to the bottom of what makes The Roberson suc...

This week we’re going to vertically integrate all of your upstate podcasting needs as we examine the beloved upstate convenience store institution: Stewart’s Shops. How is it possible one convenience store has the best milk, ice cream, and gas station bathrooms in the entire state of New York? Listen in to find out! Check out Jim's comedy album:  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Upstate Understandings⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

Fresh from a trip upstate, Jim brings back some tales of the Binghamton St. Patrick's Day Parade. While Jim was abroad, he sat down for an interview with LaRue Simmons, the owner of the upstate vintage clothing store, Stellar Human. LaRue has created an upstate community around fashion, music, and human connection, and we are thrilled to share this conversation with all the Spiedie Freaks! Che...

This week we're looking at the New York oil boom of 1859 and we get an Upstate Update on the wild tale of William and John Rockefeller's horse stealing and con artist father, William "Devil Bill" Rockefeller! Jim and Rob get into the history of the short lived oil boom and its lasting environmental impact that are still being felt today. Check out Jim's comedy album:  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

What does a naturally occurring eternal flame, the world's largest pancake griddle, and the invention of the potato chip all have in common? Upstate New York! This week Rob and Jim run through a veritable variety pack of six different upstate topics while they also check in on their definition of what is, and perhaps more importantly, what is not "upsate". Check out Jim's comedy...

Under the banner of Griselda Records, Westside Gunn, Benny The Butcher, and Conway The Machine have created a musical force from their lives and experiences in Buffalo, New York that world hasn't seen since the likes of Rick James. Jim and Rob discuss the group's rise from handing out mixtapes to being anointed as successors to the hip hop crown by legends like DJ Premier and the Wu-Tang C...

You press the play button, Rob and Jim do the rest. This week Understanding Upstate breaks down the development and demise of Rochester's own, Eastman Kodak. From their pioneering innovations that brought photography to the masses, to practically inventing airplane reconnaissance, through their history around their racist and discriminatory employment practices, to the potential poisoning of F...

This week Jim and Rob get into the surprisingly complex origins of Thousand Island Dressing. They'll take a look at the sweeping innovations in salad technology that lead to a veritable salad boom in the early 1900's. What makes Russian Dressing Russian? Why did the federal government regulate French Dressing from the 1950's until 2022? Who were the movers and shakers in the early sala...

We're back in Binghamton to examine the history of a former Upstate cultural hub, the Binghamton Masonic Temple, which has since been abandoned and fallen into disrepair. Rob and Jim also will get into a little history of the Freemasons, their potentially successful kidnapping/murder of an Upstate journalist, and how the organization has changed over the centuries. Follow us on instagram:  ⁠⁠⁠...

This week we conclude our two part review of 2014's  The Rewrite. Is the combined power of Binghamton, fresh spiedies, and Rod Serling enough to redeem this movie? Jump in to find out! Haven't seen  The Rewrite  yet? Don't worry, you can watch the whole movie here for free on  ⁠Tubi⁠ .  Throw us a rating and a review on Apple Podcasts! Include a suggestion in your review for something...

In the first installment of a whirlwind two part series, Jim and Rob begin their movie review of 2014's The Rewrite, starring Hugh Grant, Marisa Tomei, and none other than our favorite Upstate city: Binghamton, New York. Not since The Twilight Zone has Binghamton been so prominently featured in pop culture and we'll get into why this movie is in many regards terrible but also a pretty good...

Get ready to yuck it up because this week we are headed to Upstate New York's funniest region: the Borscht Belt. Join Jim and Rob as they look at the Jewish Alp's impact on comedy and navigate the bungalow colonies and marriage brokers of the Catskill Mountains. Next week we're reviewing, The Rewrite , a film staring Hugh Grant and Marisa Tomei which was filmed in Binghamton, NY. Catch...

You may not have heard of the Upstate shoe company, Endicott Johnson. before, but trust us when we say this episode ties a lot of things together. We'll get to the bottom of how this company and its enigmatic owner, George F. Johnson influenced the Southern Tier, the Twilight Zone, spiedies, and maybe even Jumanji.  Throw us a rating and a review on Apple Podcasts! Include a suggestion in you...

If you've ever left a holiday celebration wanting to smash something, well then we have got the perfect Upstate tradition for you: peppermint pigs. Jim and Rob grab their tiny hammers and smash open this sweet swine from Saratoga to figure out why no one has ever seen hide nor hair of this holiday hog. Don't forget, this is a special episode you can WATCH on ⁠ YouTube⁠ . Throw us a rating...

This week Jim and Rob tackle... the Buffalo Bills! They'll figure out who's more intimidating between the Bills Mafia and the actual mob, and wether there is such a thing as a halfway Bills fan. Don't forget, this is a special episode you can WATCH on YouTube . Don't forget to throw us a rating and a review on Apple Podcasts! Include a suggestion in your review for something you&#3...

This week Rob and Jim will not only make you an offer you can't refuse, but will also talk about an ill-advised Upstate mob meeting. Back in 1957 the Mafia thought it'd be a good idea to get everyone together at a house in the small town of Apalachin, NY. Turns out this meeting would be the beginning of the end for the Cosa Nostra crime syndicate. Did the FBI have an undercover mole who fo...

Rob and Jim examine the life of Upstate legend and Adirondack resident, Oliver Lamora, who found himself caught between a Rockefeller and a hard place. We'll take a trip into the patient determination and not so subtle sociopathy of William Rockefeller as he waged a years long legal battle against Civil War veteran and father of eight, Oliver Lamora. Follow us on instagram:  ⁠⁠@understandingup...

Buckle up because this week we're going to learn all about the Upstate grocery store Wegmans and what has kept them ahead in the grocer game for so long and why self proclaimed Wegmaniacs ride so hard for a grocery store. While Understanding Upstate is definitely not sponsored by SupermarketWorldNews.com, rest assured, this will be Danny's Favorite episode. Have no idea what that means? We...

This week Jim and Rob take a look at one of the most (in)famous people to come out of Buffalo, NY, the one and only Rick James. Strap in, because this episode has more twists than every M. Night Shyamalan movie combined! We get into the wild life and times of the Superfreak himself, and also look at the lasting impact he has had on music and his hometown of Buffalo, NY. Follow us on instagram: @un...

Buckle up because we are headed back to Binghamton, NY to examine one of the greatest regional foods to ever exist, the magical marinated meat, the spiedie. Jim and Rob get into the origins of spiedie, what makes it so tasty, and why it's such an important part of Binghamton culture. On top of that, journalist and writer, Paul Lukas, sits down with us to talk about being one of the first peopl...

To round out this year's spooky season, Rob⁠  and  ⁠Jim⁠  are examining some Upstate ghost stories, including maybe the most famous murder case you've never heard of, the tragic Adirondack murder of Grace Brown. On top of that, Rob dove into the stacks to bring you the most gripping ghost stories ripped from the headlines of Upstate New York newspapers of yore. Jump in while Rob and Jim tr...