I'm sorry, but The Point isn't 'upstate NY.' Upstate is places like Albany, Binghamton or Syracuse. West Point is the Hudson River Valley, perhaps the most beautiful part of New England (OK, maybe Concord at the peak of fall leaves, but nothing less). I grew up in Scarsdale and dearly loved our trips up the Hudson, the visits to The Point, watching the Long Grey Line marching on the parade grounds, visits to Bear Mountain, etc. I'm of Scottish origin and I firmly believe that the Hudson River Valley just looks like HOME.
I don't know SD, but my nephew and niece both attended SD State and I've learned of it from them. I know the bay area from five years there myself (77 to 82) plus my parents and my sister's family living in Palo Alto for the last decade or so. My nephew (same one from SD State) is just taking a leave from LAPD (he sold his book, including the movie rights!) so I have some links to the Southland.
Memphis / Germantown isn't anything like any of that.
It is, however, a great place to raise kids.
It is also a place that will frustrate anyone with a modicum of political sophistication no end. You will learn to hate the phrase/attitude "we're just little old Memphis" whenever you talk about solving a political problem. The most offensive thing is the black inner city power base and their reaction to rampant and obvious corruption. They point (legitimately) to decades of white corruption by Boss Crump and say "now it's our turn." Fortunately the power base that is growing up in the black community around the county mayor, as opposed to the city mayor, is emerging as a very reasonable alternative. Harold Ford Jr. is making a very clean break from his psychotic older generation (primarily uncle John) and could be a very interesting and attractive alternative to "politics as usual."
And as to your Marine association, my oldest son is at Quantico in OCS as we speak. He has a year to go at Texas A&M before taking up his commission (assuming he does OK at OCS) and is seriously talking about career. He's really good at languages and is even a family legacy with The Agency, so I have great hopes he'll end up at Monterey or Langley. Of course he wants to be "down in the weeds" and is VERY involved with Force Recon. What is it with Marines?
When you arrive I'll be pleased to show you the best places for Barbecue, as well as a few places to avoid. For real, important, info about Memphis I'll stear you to my wife, who is truly plugged in (g).
Down through the years, I've made it a point when talking to those who aren't familiar with New York State, geographically speaking, to tell them I'm from "upstate NY" else they immediately assume anyone from NY is from NYC. What you said though with respect to me growing up in the Hudson Valley (Cornwall and New Windsor actually) is correct. Only people from NYC would actually consider that area to be "upstate." As for Westchester County, my grandfather & grandmother (now deceased) lived in Briarcliff Manor, and my former dentist, who was a family friend, practiced in your home town of Scarsdale. My mother and father are still back East, living in the lower village of Cornwall; my father continuing to practice criminal law in Newburgh to this day. Newburgh, as anyone who is familiar with Orange County knows, is a bona-fide ghetto with high crime, so business for him remains strong - LOL. As for your eldest son at OCS, I can only say that I never saw the place - I dropped out of college and enlisted in the Corps so I went down to Parris Island, South Carolina as non-rate, no-rank cannon fodder. I do, however, wish him success and the best of luck over at Quantico this summer. Personally speaking, after I got out, I immediately went back to college and got my degree, seeing how I quickly found out that it was far better to be directing the working party rather then being on it. It was a good experience and I now see the merit in having done my time pulling my fair share of sh_t detail. You never truly realize how good you had it until you have been made to live, work, and been treated like, a total dog. Hell, after that, I considered practically everything else to be positively uphill! On a more serious note, I'd like to thank you for your invitation to help my wife and me get better acquainted with the Memphis/Germantown area; when we pull into town, we'll be sure to drop you a line.