The downtown trains are full
full of all them Brooklyn girls
They try so hard to break out of their little worlds
You wave your hand and they scatter like crows
New York state has one of the nation's largest agricultural industries. Politically, socially and culturally, NYC is foreign to the rest of NY state (except for some surrounding areas), just as it is foreign to the rest of the USA. NYC tends to be big, brash, vocal and in-your-face about it.
One could easily perceive San Francisco (never been there) as politically, socially and culturally foreign as well. Some perceive all of California as almost a foreign country.
NYC does, indeed, have some urine-soaked areas. For various and sundry reasons, there has always been an ample supply of street people. Considering population density, with more people per square mile than elsewhere, Manhattan probably has more street people per square mile. Some problems are magnified. Public toilet facilities are lacking. Even when you are homeless, if ya gotta go, ya gotta go. Congregating by gays and drug dealers led to closures of public facilities.
Parts of the South Bronx did resemble a bombed out urban wasteland some time back. I do not believe it is as bad as it was. In the Navy, Norfolk, Virginia was universally known as S--- City. The last time I saw downtown Norfolk it looked almost like a bombed out wasteland.
Regarding culture, as a big melting pot, American culture is a bit difficult to define. To a European, American culture is probably typified by McDonald's and an attitude. Notable is that attitude, "Why don't they speak English?"
To some extent, NYC is to the rest of the US as France is to the rest of the world. NYC is the Big Apple, the greatest city in the world. All you need do is ask a few city-dwellers. They are not generally bashful about telling you so.
I can hardly consider NYC to be an urban wasteland. I believe Manhattan has the most expensive real estate in the US. The cost of living is very high.
I do not consider NYC to be in the northeast extremity of the US. All of New England lies north and east. Geographically, it is not all that far from Virginia.
While some of the criticisms of NYC are reasonably accurate, I see few valid conclusions to be drawn. Native New Yorkers may well heap the same criticisms on NYC, and add a few. For example, one might criticize it by observing that giant sucking sound of NYC as it reaches into pockets around the state vacuuming out money. A rural hick likely would not appreciate going out his door and seeing someone sleeping on the sidewalk as much as going out his door and having a few deer look up and say "hi." But heck, y'all can judge for yourself.
Inner city bliss:
My current rural view:
