Spoke with the regional office today and without asking directly was able to glean the following... Sometimes the license application takes around 6 weeks to process because ATFE is now swimming in explosive license applications. Said I heard the procedure might be slightly different than NYers and was told that it was the same. Send in the application and check and wait for it in the mail. She said absolutely nothing about an interview or a visit.
I am left wondering if this is a time frame thing, as Wave applied for his right after 911. Or maybe it is a location thing, Wave and Green18 are on Long Island and are serviced by the Manhattan (NYC) regional office.
I guess I'll keep my eyes and ears peeled and will report back to all of you what the process is like for an upstater.