I'm not sure what that guy is on about, but obviously, New York is "worth" what it costs, or people wouldn't live here. If people truly preferred somewhere cheaper, they'd go somewhere cheaper. People gripe everywhere, and yes, New York is really expensive. It's also really amazing, really packed with remarkable things, public transportation that puts "quality of life" cities everywhere to shame, actual population diversity I never experienced in other "quality of life" cities -- and I've lived in several, including Portland -- and access to a great density of employers and opportunities than probably anywhere on earth, literally. Yes, it's very expensive. I live in a much smaller apartment here and pay a lot more than when I lived in Portland (or Minneapolis). But I have an entire neighborhood, and then an entire city, of living, breathing, often unique businesses and people.

Short version? I live in a small apartment, but there's so much to do that I'm hardly ever in it.

Oh, and envy of the rich is not a New York phenomenon; that's absurd. People in New York are less pretentious about money than any population I've ever encountered.

Been there. Done that. Kept the apple, Eve, and the serpent.

Now living in the garden.