I've had the rotten luck of being stuck in the southern portion of 'upstate NY'...
Meaning Southern NY to the 'rest of the country'.
Why is this rotten?
Because for the past 8 years there has been rain, fog, or some form of weather interfering with visibility every time there is a meteor shower.
I got lucky once and saw comet Hyakutake.
You probably already know this, but even if it weren't foggy, etc., you get poor visibility because of city lights. Go to the remote regions and it is something you will NEVER forget. I rank it right up there with seeing the Grand Canyon.
If that is the case, you *for sure* don't want to live in SE Alaska
Ok...why are you "Upstate" if you're southern?