Upstate NY is an afterthought when it comes to NYS politics as ALL the votes are in the 5 Burroughs.
I have lived in and around Rochester my entire life.
The non-urban areas are gorgeous and you get to experience all four seasons.
The winters have been a lot milder the last ten years.
The taxes are horrific, and the crime in the cities is out of control.
But I really do love it here.
I remember my very first exposure to politics very well. I was about 12 years old and listening to my Dad and his golf buddies complain about getting bled dry by NYS taxes and how all the tax money flowed to the five burroughs. That was in 1963!