as a former upstater, I agree totally with you...NYS is a lot like California....lots of farmland...lots of forests...lots of lakes...lots of orchards....plenty of people that consider themselves “country” .....but even with that, the NY cityers are not bad either..... but like Seattle in my state of Washington, NY dominates the state and its politics...
NY is an absolutely GORGEOUS state, tons of natural resources, great agriculture, very historical.
It has a lot to offer even though its government and winters suck.