Why I love New York State..despite it's crooked politicians.

[ironglow]

  Sadly the statewide politicians (governor, atty gen, lieutenant gov etc) are mostly elected by the big cities. ..And I don't like the big cities..say nothing
  of whom they elect.

    in New York's favor is it's varied landscape.  We have the Adirondack and Appalachain mountains, the Fnger Lakes and two of the Great Lakes.

  we  have dairy country, grape country and orchards..we enjoy all 4 seasons and the sports associated therewith.  Hunting and fishing is great.

  Onething many folks from distant areas have trouble associating with New York, is that it doesn't have near as much "concrete jungle" as many think.

  Yes, there are millions in the concrete jungles.. but they are confined to a very small area acreage wise, and rarely venture out  very far from the
  asphalt trails, and when they do, they are as likely to end up on th ewest coast, rather than spend any time with the "hicks" north or west of NY City.

  Those folks for the most part, are "furriners" to us !

  There are so many places where there are hidden beauty spots, concealed by thick woods and timber that strangers, if they do happen out in our area, hav eno clue of..even when in close proximity.

  Below are some photos snapped by my son, of a nearby falls, which "outsiders" may drive by on the country road...and not even be aware of it's
  existence...... maybe 25 yards from the road.

  Photos below from a couple years ago..  myself with walking staff, standing on a outcrop of the falls.. the road is over my shoulder..about 25 yards up and over. 
   
    Sometimes my son does model shots at the same falls..

  WE have some nearby nooks, crannys and falls...but the finger Lakes area if full of them.. 

  BTW:  I opine that I am not alone here, but reflect the ideas of many of the guys here, who live in similar situations in their states.

  I was prompted to this, when Lloyd brought up a picture of his home area..that in no way, resembles either Detroit or Lansing.

[Land_Owner]

My wife is from Upstate NY and says NYC is NOT representative of NY.  Former residents of Long Island, now dear members of our church choir, have the same opinion.  Too many have met the NY'er from the City, driving, dining, relocating to a city near you, etc. 

The first time I drove into NYC (from Jersey) was on a Sunday morning, about 7:30 a.m.  Rounding a gentle highway curve heading toward lower Manhattan, four of eight lanes of the highway ahead were going 45 mph, IN REVERSE, backing up toward an exit they had already passed as there was some sort of road closure ahead.  I headed for the exit and found myself driving through Harlem, which was asleep - for the most part - and eventually found my way to the Statute of Liberty ferry.

[Lloyd Smale]

went home with a buddy in the service to upstate NY and it reminded me of home. laid back and beautiful

[darkgael]

I do agree with the observations about NYs abundant natural beauty. It can be soul stirring.
I also think that you are selling the cities short, disregarding them. There are good reasons why NYC attracts so many visitors. Natural beauty......No for that one has to drive west and north....or east through Long Island to the windswept beaches of Montauk. What big cities offer is vibrant pulsing life.
Much of what is good about NYC is a matter of focus......because there is a lot that is NOT good. There are poor neighborhoods, there are dirty streets in places, there are dangerous places. If those are what you choose to visit, then, yes, you had best stay away. There is a certain grandeur, however, to walking the canyons created by architects and concrete and steel. There is a sense of.....what?......of adventure, of history, of communion when you are on an early morning ride on the Staten Island Ferry (the best free ride in the USA) past the Statue of Liberty, past the old USCG base on Governors Island, past Ellis Island.
And...there are people.....crowds of people from just about everywhere on Earth. They are worth a look; they are part of the adventure. I do understand that those crowds are for many a major turn off....a reason to stay away. There is no arguing that.
I have lived in NYC for the last 43 years. It frustrates me sometimes: it fills me with joy at others.
today is Halloween. At four o'clock this afternoon, the street in front of my home will be filled with hundreds of children and parents on the quest for treats. It is noisy, chaotic and great fun.....and will go on for hours. Only in a city.

[ironglow]

I do agree with the observations about NYs abundant natural beauty. It can be soul stirring.
I also think that you are selling the cities short, disregarding them. There are good reasons why NYC attracts so many visitors. Natural beauty......No for that one has to drive west and north....or east through Long Island to the windswept beaches of Montauk. What big cities offer is vibrant pulsing life.
Much of what is good about NYC is a matter of focus......because there is a lot that is NOT good. There are poor neighborhoods, there are dirty streets in places, there are dangerous places. If those are what you choose to visit, then, yes, you had best stay away. There is a certain grandeur, however, to walking the canyons created by architects and concrete and steel. There is a sense of.....what?......of adventure, of history, of communion when you are on an early morning ride on the Staten Island Ferry (the best free ride in the USA) past the Statue of Liberty, past the old USCG base on Governors Island, past Ellis Island.
And...there are people.....crowds of people from just about everywhere on Earth. They are worth a look; they are part of the adventure. I do understand that those crowds are for many a major turn off....a reason to stay away. There is no arguing that.
I have lived in NYC for the last 43 years. It frustrates me sometimes: it fills me with joy at others.
today is Halloween. At four o'clock this afternoon, the street in front of my home will be filled with hundreds of children and parents on the quest for treats. It is noisy, chaotic and great fun.....and will go on for hours. Only in a city.

   
   Yes DG, part of the assessment I provided above includes my own prejudice, in that I am in no way comfortable in any city.  I guess that is
   because of where I was brought up and have chosen to live, all my life.  My criticism is not for NYC alone, but for almost any city.... my hangup
   again.

  As a Christian, I don't hate anybody**! ...However, sometimes I hate what they do...such as voting to put tyrants in power..where they can reach
   and grasp for even more power. 

       I certainly do not want to paint with too broad a brush, because one can find great people along with bums, in almost any location

  Then there is that "attitude" which many (but not all) of the "Gotham" hold for others, especially for we "rustics".   

   Some even go so far as to think that the world revolves around NY City and act that way. Now, that is a source of irritation, not just for other New
   Yorkers, but for folks dwelling almost anywhere in the US.  I think that attitude is what has brought some ire for all New Yorkers, whether from
   NYC or not.

   Yes, there are cultural centers in NY City, and great feats of architecture on display... but I would prefer to enjoy them from afar, by printed page or video...rather than try to navigate the beehive.

   As I said, just me and my country upbringing, but I do resent the cities voting as a virtual block..thrusting upon other citizens, disagreeable laws
   which bring them stress and curtailment of Constitutional rights....Not just NY City, but all cities are alike, IMO.  ..And one size DOES NOT fit all !
 
  Lloyd's post, speaking of his home town prompted this post..His home is in no way like Detroit...same goes for NY State..  Many uninformed folks
   from across the country seem to be confused concerning the contrast, and this post is aimed at clarification.

  That is the reason why such memes exist as shown below.

   ** ISIS and Hamas may be an exception..
   

[Land_Owner]

[ironglow]

  Yes, Landowner, that yellow colored part is where most of the problem originates, and some folks outside the area seem to confuse that yellow area with the rest of the state.  Perhaps an ultimate, "apples vs oranges".

   We have 3-4 cities upstate, that seem to vote blindly, but if it weren't for that mess in the dotted circle...it is likely, we could out vote the
   leftist margin in those cities.
 
    It would hardly be honest to conclude that Seattle is representative of all Washington, or Portland an example of greater Oregon either.