One of the things I learned from an open-ended road trip around half the United States a while back is that there are lots of nice places... maybe more than there's actually time to see, apparently more than the number of slots most US citizens have in their head for Nice Places(TM). And I'm glad some of my favorites are off the mainstream map, because it means I can better afford real estate there (though for most of these the locals and local developers are making it more expensive anyway).
It's arguable that some places offer unique levels of specific opportunities, and if SF and NY are like that for you, there's nothing wrong with choosing them. But there's a whole country of nice places between the two.
> It's too bad the blocks in Vegas are so large (looks like 380x480) and the streets so wide.
This is far from LV's biggest problem; well-subdivided blocks interspersed with good paths suitable for pedestrians and light vehicles could work out fine, keeping auto traffic proper at the periphery, maybe something people don't even have to deal with on a day-to-day basis.
Chicago is a fantastic city, with plenty that those cities have, and plenty more that they don't. And yet, a good portion of the neighborhoods have reasonable rent.
Most of the parts of NYC near the city center are so dense you need to build n-story mid-rise or high-rise condos if you want to add more people. That is expensive even if there were no political barriers.
Edit: and, distinctly contrary to sf, you won't miss a car. There is a food delivery culture: you may assume the vast majority of restaurants deliver. Seamless web is amazing. Groceries, gyms, dry cleaners, wash-and-folds, restaurants, and delis are so close to the majority of places you can live that you have no need for a vehicle.
Now consider the rent differential between NYC and any other "cars required" city in the US. There goes your $400 and then some...
NYC is needlessly expensive but not by as much as you think.
nyc costs are comparatively helped by not needing a car!
http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?coun...
Average Monthly Disposable Salary (After Tax) Tokyo New York 312,241.52 ¥ 464,589.78 ¥
Everything appears "cheaper" up until that point, but that's never the whole picture. You could also assert that you're likely to be paid less living in Tokyo, and the costs of living reflect this. Property is the major difference there.
I don't know what that means.
worse weather than New York.
Much worse, no argument there. That said, it's nice to be able to go into a building in the winter and have it be nice and warm, unlike SF, where everything is perpetually chilly.
And you?
June - September is pretty damn hot. I wouldn't want to be caught outside during the day.
I was asking him to clarify.
I don't see that happening here anytime soon though.
Megacities are the best example of the network effect.
How about folks drinking beer on the street, the ceaseless outside speakers, and totally shameless flaunting of the sex trade on every corner? I'm not a prude, but there is something to be said for a little class. I didn't even notice the block/street size when I was there.
It's too bad the blocks in Vegas are so large (looks like 380x480) and the streets so wide. It'll be really hard to ever make that appealing, especially given the climate.