"That Long Island is not the vast agricultural preserve you think it formerly was, that has now been despoiled by greedy developers and homeowners.
I am simply not comfortable unless I am somewhere I can see 10,000'+ mountain peaks from 100+ miles away."
I'm the last of three generations on Long Island. I remember farms right on the outskirts of NYC. You are right that it is not "the vast agricultural preserve you think it formerly was...", but then, that wasn't what you meant to say, was it?
Why don't you admit it, you have absolutely no idea what Long Island was like, or is now?
I saw Long Island 20 years ago, from NYC all the way to the eastern end. There were actually a few farms left at that time. It must have been delightful when it was all rural farmland and it is more built up now I am sure.
I have been to Pennsylvania more recently and I have seen the sprawl. It looked like the Amish have sold all their land along the existing roads. For miles and miles the roads were lined with modern houses. This exodus from the cities appeared to have started in the 60's. The Amish farms were hemmed in but you could catch a glimpse of the Amish at work in their fields behind the houses.