cc.rb

require "rubygems"
require "json"
data = '[
            {
                "name": "John Doe",
                "location": {
                    "name": "New York, New York",
                    "id": 12746342329
                },
                "hometown": {
                    "name": "Brooklyn, New York",
                    "id": 43453644
                }
            },
            {
                "name": "Jane Doe",
                "location": {
                    "name": "Miami, Florida",
                    "id": 12746342329
                },
                "hometown": {
                    "name": "Queens, New York",
                    "id": 12746329
                }
            },
            {
                "name": "Foo Doe",
                "location": {
                    "name": "Brooklyn, NY",
                    "id": 12746342329
                },
                "hometown": {
                    "name": "Orlando, Florida",
                    "id": 12746329
                }
            },
            {
                "name": "Foo Baz",
                "location": {
                    "name": "Brooklyn, California",
                    "id": 12746342329
                },
                "hometown": {
                    "name": "Orlando, California",
                    "id": 12746329
                }
            }            
    ]'
    
friends = JSON.parse(data)

def friends_in_states(friends, states=[])
  friends.select do |f|
    states.map{|s| (f['location']['name'] =~ Regexp.new(s)) || (f['hometown']['name'] =~ Regexp.new(s)) }.any?
  end  
end

in_state_friends = friends_in_states(friends, ['Florida', 'New York'])

puts in_state_friends