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I live in upstate NY. I live in a 'burb outside of a mid-sized city, somewhat close to the Canadian border -- it takes about the same amt. of time to get to NYC or Ontario Canada. Pittsburgh, Cleveland or Boston are also about equal time trips. I am also in easy driving distance to many organic farms, apple orchards and superb fishing. The Adirondacks are a couple of hours East. It takes about 2-3 hours to get to Lilydale which is to the south west.
We get lots of snow in the winter and the occasional ice storm but no tornados, massive hurricanes, only very mild rare earthquakes and no tsunami... we also get no drought. There is a tea party contingent here, like everywhere else however no rebel flags. We talk fast but let people "in" when driving and most commutes never exceed 30 minutes unless you really need to live far out there (some do) but the traffic is only bad for about an hour each morning and evening. We have had so many people leave for greener job pastures, our roads are easy to travel on.
Our Spring, Summer and Fall are spectacular. Even on the hottest day of the summer the early morning air has a new chill to it and the water comes cool out of the tap. You should have seen the foliage today! And... we have Wegmans.
Our water is amazing, mostly from clean finger lakes. I drink from the tap. We are the best kept secret of the country (and I've just spilled the beans). We do have higher taxes than most states. Our jobs outlook isn't the greatest and our pay scales reflect the cost of living here. Rents can be low or high depending on where you want to live but you can still buy a house here for under $100,000 (cheaper in the city-- way cheaper and nice old housing stock). Our state government has lately been a headshaking shame but it could be a lot worse. Our parks are amazing.
Better, we have a diverse population. People here are Irish, Polish, Somalian, Kenyan, Black/African American, Italian, Lebanese, German, Islander, Ukranian, Latino, Vietemese, Laotian, etc. We are also mostly all American... but do not ever refer to ourselves as being "just Northern". We are New Yorkers but not Yankees -- Yankees live in New England unless you are playing in Yankee Stadium. We are underrepresented and as upstaters, regularly ignored. You will run into Catholics and Jewish people here, although the COC's, SB's, and probably every flavor of Christianity as well as Sikhs, Bnai's, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Unitarians, and UU's. Plenty of different Pagan types as well and nearby Mennonite and Amish communities. There is little religious pressure here, I think, due to the amount of diverse faiths.
We do have Rush here on the main am station along with his friends Glenn and Sean-- and they have their followers. I listen to NPR in the car or the alternative rock station all the time anyway. We have inner city crime, gangs and violence that sort of thing brings in depressed urban areas at night-- like every where else.
The pizza and Italian bread is worth the move alone. Right now I think NY is at #28 on the unemployment statistics. (Higher number= higher level of unemployment).
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