>In retrospect, I got caught up in the notion of living in NY, as opposed to what it would actually be like.

After having lived on Long Island all my life, the move to small town life was quite a shock at first but now I've come to like the short lines and the sparse traffic.
Every now and then I get on the train to NYC, but otherwise the New Yorker and the NY Times satisfy my needs for that culture.

Several years ago I played a round of golf at the Springfield Country Club and I was surprised at how hilly that area is.