People that want to be conspicuous have to display their success where it's going to be seen. Living in a place that is "central" in so many ways is a competition to see who can hang in there. The only way to stay is to keep winning bigger.
What? Most people I know in Manhattan are just people with jobs who enjoy living in the city. There is no "displaying their success" or "keep winning bigger" mentality to be found in my sprawling NYC-based friend group. Sounds like something from TV or the movies.
> There is no "displaying their success" or "keep winning bigger" mentality to be found
They may not realize the game they're in. But as long as the cost of living keeps hitting new peaks, inevitably people need to bring in more money, or move farther out or elsewhere. Supply is limited, and it is a competition.
And the award for Most Condescending Comment goes to...
But in all seriousness, this has always been happening. NYC is NYC because the cost of living keeps hitting new peaks, over and over, generation after generation. The same with so many high-demand cities. That's how they got to be such massive, dense cities to begin with. We're all just riding the wave.
> And the award for Most Condescending Comment goes to...
I probably could have phrased that better. In any case I don't think what we're saying is incompatible. One has no choice but to keep up with the cost of living. My point is that the cost of living in a massively "central" city is defined by a lot of people driven to succeed and be seen succeeding, whether or not that's the mentality of one's group of friends.
