Maine
The State of Maine is beyond the northern terminus of the coastal plain along the Atlantic Ocean, resulting in a unique East Coast experience, more typical of the West Coast, where mountains continue smoothly into the ocean. Also of interest are the numerous art colonies in the State, particularly around Ogunquit and Kennebunkport, and Aroostook County, where potato farming is surprisingly prevalent in the east and where the timber industry is largely identified in the extremely rural and largely unincorporated west.
New Hampshire
Uniquely associated with the White Mountains, the State of New Hampshire offers a unique experience with Mount Washington, the highest elevation in the State, offering what is often branded as the “worst” weather worldwide. While the weather claim may in fact be a marketing slogan, the summit of the mountain has largely been the subject of infamy for extremely high winds, wind speeds, and wind gusts. Unlike Mount Katahdin in Maine, however, the height of New Hampshire is not nearly as famous for hiking, especially as the former, within Maine’s Baxter State Park, serves as the northernmost terminus of the famous Appalachian Trail. Also in New Hampshire, the population and density alike decrease to the north and increase to the south, and the southwest of the State, around Keene, is largely renowned for Mount Monadnock, a relatively isolated mountain in the larger Appalachian region.
Vermont
The State of Vermont is an interesting state because, while the State is often compared to New Hampshire in scenic natural beauty, the administration of Vermont is often more similar to the State of Maine in terms of environmental protections and heightened environmental standards. Also, unlike New Hampshire or even Maine, the State of Vermont is often highly overboard with progressive policies, renewable energy, and of course, maple syrup. The Green Mountains are the chief mountain range that the State of Vermont is named for by the French, while the State is also bounded by Lake Champlain, the Poultney River, and the Connecticut River on the western and eastern edges in different places.
Massachusetts
The General Henry Knox Cannon Trail is of historical importance throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts from west to east, while the Commonwealth also maintains substantially different subcultures depending on specific regions located within. The Berkshires are essentially comparable to a southward extension of Vermont and a northward extension of the Taconic Mountains, while Pioneer Valley is a showcase of vibrant communities including the Five Colleges and the surprising birthplaces of volleyball and basketball. Further east, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts becomes more highly associated with vibrant city and town life and relatively flatter topography while also becoming increasingly influenced by the City of Boston and, in turn, decreasingly influenced by New York City. While Cape Cod, the Elizabeth Islands, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket Island contain cultural traits clearly distinct from the remainder of Eastern Massachusetts centered around Boston, the Greater Boston area tends to focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and is often, but not necessarily always, at the forefront in LGBTQIA+ advocacy rights and in freedom of identity and expression. Anticapitalist groups, as may exist in occasional spaces throughout much of Vermont, are also expected portions of the cultural fabric of the Berkshires.
Rhode Island
Although Providence may appear relatively close to Boston on a map, the two cities are clearly distinct and Providence is not appropriately referred to as subordinate to Boston in any meaningful way, shape, or form. However, the City of Providence is the capital city of the State of Rhode Island, and as such is comparable to the state capital of Massachusetts, Boston. In fact, the state capitals of Massachusetts and Rhode Island are heuristically the closest pair of state capitals. While Rhode Island may be minuscule in form, the compact nature of the State does not underscore the importance in American history to have a state founded by Roger Williams and associated with the principles of Williams and Anne Hutchinson. Apart from the Greater Providence area, however, the communities at Charlestown, Westerly, and even New Shoreham on Block Island are also of particular importance.
Connecticut
While Massachusetts and Rhode Island are often interconnected in parts, especially with the SouthCoast area of the former being connected particularly to the communities in Rhode Island, the State of Connecticut is actually quite an interesting—and complicated—state and entity. While Connecticut contains rural areas predominantly toward the northeast corner of the State often known as the Quiet Corner, the State is also predominantly associated with Hartford and New Haven. Historically, the most significant portions of the State of Connecticut had also been the portions of the State nearest the Long Island Sound, particularly in the cases of New Haven and Saybrook. Today, however, the traditional area of Fairfield County is often associated with New York and not with New England to nearly the same extent.
New York
Unlike the New England states, New York is a relatively diverse state, whether in area, population, demographics, or even landscapes. Ten identifiable regions exist within the State of New York, where Downstate refers to New York City and remaining portions of both Long Island and suburban areas slightly to the north. The Hudson Valley is the northward continuation of the geographical region that is Downstate, while the Capital District refers specifically to the region surrounding Albany. The Thousand Islands, the Adirondack Park, and intermediate areas combined form the North Country of the State, while the entire region west of the Finger Lakes is most appropriately—and aptly—named “Western New York.” Even while the Finger Lakes form a distinct region within the State, the regions further east include Central New York, the Mohawk Valley, and the Catskills, while the southern portion of the “Upstate” region along the Pennsylvania line is often referred to as the “Southern Tier.” Although numerous place names exist within the State with clearly distinct etymologies, whether Dutch, English, Indigenous, mixed, or otherwise, the State of New York remains extremely interesting as a state with multiple competing identities dependent on location within.
New Jersey
The State of New Jersey, though often overshadowed by neighboring states New York and Pennsylvania, is surprisingly highly valued internally when focusing only on the State. While no significant cities exist with a population count particularly above 200,000, the State of New Jersey remains the nation’s most densely populated state, even in spite of containing expansive rural areas in the “South Jersey” region and, to a lesser extent, in Sussex County as well. Interestingly enough, novaTopFlex identifies the State of New Jersey as nationally the most productive and potentially amongst the nation’s most undervalued as well.
Pennsylvania
Unlike the states further to the north and east, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania continues to exist as a bridge between regions, with the land area ranging from Yankeedom in the north to the Mid-Atlantic in the south and from the Eastern United States in the east to the Midwest in the west. The Keystone State moniker may no longer be physically accurate to the Commonwealth, but the cultural characteristics that define a crossroads region continue to exist into the modern day. While Amish, Mennonite, and to a significantly lesser extent, Quaker communities continue to exist well into the modern day, the Commonwealth continues to serve the entire population, regardless of how extensively individuals and communities maintain conformity to traditional social roles and constructs or preserve unique cultural characteristics, customs, or heritage.
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