Graceful dining: Eat at these 10 mansions in Upstate NY Updated Jan 26, 2021; In the days New York actually deserved the title of “The Empire State,” it reflected not just its industrial and financial advances but its grand Gilded Age homes. This included its heritage of New World mansions and faux European chateaux, particularly in the Upstate NY region where architects could take advantage of the landscapes to let their imaginations soar. Sadly, the vast majority of such venues have fallen victim to the ravages of time, taxes and societal turbulence. Nevertheless, enough remain as special event venues, historic preservation sites and boutique hotels to remind us of those opulent times — and allow us a chance to catch a glimpse of how the bluebloods of old once lived outside New York City.