I have a good friend who loves New York and always talks about moving there. She's about 50 and ultra-liberal, so NYC is paradise to her. She travels to New York often, but never stays more than a weekend . I've been to NYC twice , but I would never want to live there, and I have no desire to go back there again. Way too big, too congested and too expensive. Not to mention the commie mayor who thinks government should dictate every aspect of your life.
My friend makes a fairly good wage for the region where we live, but I tell her that wage won't last long in NYC. I was watching House Hunters on HGTV not long ago. A couple wanted to buy a condo in NYC for around $750,000. The condos shown in their price range were tiny. I mean "tiny." For $750,000 I want more space than 500 sq. ft.
My friend would never survive in NYC. I tell her that and she claims she would make more money in NYC, but she doesn't understand that the high cost of living would eat up that additional compensation in a heartbeat. Plus she spends money like a drunken sailor. If she lived in NYC, she would have to live on a budget, and I doubt she can. She hasn't moved to New York yet, and I suspect it's because she knows deep down, I'm right. She just won't admit it.