The amount of NYC-born privilege being waved around in this thread is astounding.
I have paid, in many ways, for NYC my whole life. It's my city too, even though I wasn't born there. I identify with its culture. I know its geography and social norms. I play its open mics to enthusiastic audiences of a size that I simply can't reach upstate.
Why do you think that people who are born in NYC are entitled to these things to the exclusion of the rest of us?
Rent Stab/Control exists for a reason, had those generations of people not been there, NYC wouldn't be what it is today. But when the entire neighborhood becomes too expensive because of landlords preferring to run hotels, and the only apartment stock that is affordable is the failing NYCHA properties, then I would consider this a gentrification.
>Why do you think that people who are born in NYC are entitled to these things to the exclusion of the rest of us?
Did I say that? Just because I noted it was gentrification doesn't mean you can treat me like a straw-man punching bag.
Why have 10 million lucky individuals get year round access to it, rather than giving 1 billion people 3-4 days each to visit it?
Maybe one day the typical life will consist of visiting a different theme-park-like city every few days, and people will identify with their planet rather than a few hundred square miles that's designated as their city of residence.