Nickname: The Empire State & Excelsior State Population: 18,185,000 (3rd) Area: 54,471 sq miles (27th) Birthplace: Teddy Roosevelt & Woody Allen Tourism: 800.225.5697 Road Conditions: 800.847.8929 A says: We touched on the side of New York that doesn't readily fit the reputation. The west end of New York State is green and rural and well-mowed. No taxi-cabs in sight, no sky rises. Just lawnmowers at every turn. The oddest thing was the dead bass washed up all along the Lake Ontario shore, and perhaps odder still, the fact that none of the beach goers even gave them a second thought. Oh yeah, also there are no public trash cans anywhere, so it's sorta like Baja in that respect: 'pack your trash.' POST NYC—It's not the most famous city in the world for no reason. (Love that double negative.) And contrary to popular opinion, every New Yorker we met was really nice and friendly. The magnet that will draw me back again? Broadway. 'Nuff said. B says: The Riding Lawnmower State as I see it. I have never seen so many acres of perfectly mowed grass as in upstate New York. We counted no less than 178 people on riding mowers in our 4 days through the state. Niagara Falls was beautiful but I couldn't talk Aryn into kayaking over the edge - that would have been extreme! POST NYC—I surprised myself: I loved Manhattan. Driving into the city I swore that the people here didn't know what the good life was and the only reason they kept living in New York City was because they didn't know any better. But after just five days there I realized the error of my ways. I couldn't live there forever, but I will definitely be back.