Ignore the peanut gallery. Life is what you make of it. I did time in upstate New York and loved it. You'll be close to VT, NH, the Gunks, the Daks, ice climbing, mountain biking, etc. Life ain't all about the size of the mountains in your backyard.
Congrats on getting into a good school, and if you're jonesing for a little alpine fix go check out Katahdin in central Maine.