An interesting observation.

When I lived in Menlo Park, I observed that local politics (definitely including zoning regulations) were controlled by wealthy homeowners, who had a strong vested interest in the status quo.

But absentee homeowners, whose principal residence is not in Manhattan, are presumably ineligible to vote there. So it seems plausible that zoning and other local laws might tilt in favor of the renters, middle class, and others who actually live in their neighborhoods.