I am slammed....and live on Long Island. Yes, the roads are bad, but you're only going to bottom out if you're not careful. Have I bottomed out before? Of course, but that's because I wasn't careful.
The roads in NYC are terrible..we wouldn't be meeting in the city. And Jones Beach is a far as hell drive for most people, so count that out.
PA sounds like the best spot because it's the center-most point for all of us East Coast gangstas.