Perhaps you don't have any fond memories nor family stories, or your family never left its mark on where they were, but that's different for me. I have a soft spot for all of the above and then some.
I'm sorry that you don't have any of that.
O have lots of fond memories growing up there. Adirondacks.
When I left, all the areas I used to enjoy as a kid had been closed to the public by the APA, the logging industry that supported several generations of my family had been destroyed by NY value liberals. The couple lumber related factories closed because of those NY value liberals.
Go to my home town on google Earth. Tupper Lake. Then look at what Detroit looks like. That town used to be leave it to beaver Americana.
Go look at the vaunted “NY values” and see what they did.