Just Where Is ‘Back East’?

At The Slice blog, Paul Turner asked readers what they meant when they said “Back East.” Here’s a sampling:

• “For those of us from the Great Lakes Midwest, ‘Back East’ refers to Boston, New York City, Washington, D.C., or anyplace within 300 miles of them,” wrote Ellen Pierce.
• “I grew up in Ohio, which was definitely called the Midwest,” wrote Lorinda Knight. “Therefore, ‘Back East’ must be somewhere east of Ohio.”
• “I originally hail from upstate New York, so there is no question in my mind what ‘Back East’ is,” wrote John Sayles.
• Peter Lucht said “Back East” stretches far enough west to include Chicago, Detroit and Cleveland.
• “’Back East’ pertains to New England or the Mid-Atlantic states,” wrote Marianne Kutner.

Question: What do you mean when you say, “Back East”?