What upstate NY has going for it are the people. Very nice, down to earth type folks. After that, I think you're just waxing poetic.
I lived in Rochester for 18 years before going to college. I have now lived in a number of cities...namely Atlanta, Phoenix, Chicago, Vegas, and Los Angeles. I am extremely biased against cold weather. That being said, Chicago is my favorite city behind Atlanta and Los Angeles. Chicago is like a Buffalo with more things to do and a slightly more white collar population.
I have ZERO urge to move back to Rochester OR Buffalo. Maybe it's just me, but I don't miss it at all and I would rather sit in traffic in LA than live in Rochester.