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Originally Posted by jtown,man
If you're poor, why the hell are you in one of the most expensive cities in the country?
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No one has a right to housing in a community, but a city has the obligation to represent its populace. New Yorkers voted for a housing agenda that is welcome to all income ranges.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jtown,man
I have discounted NYC from my "want to move to cities" for this very reason, my income is too low.
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I know you're not alone with this viewpoint, but having lived in New York and other places, I always find it odd. How is New York, in practical terms, more expensive than any other big city? I find New York to be a relatively affordable place to live (no joke). It's certainly cheaper than where my family lives in Michigan.
It's the only place in the U.S. where most people don't own cars, and rent burden is pretty average for national standards. Everyone has small apartments and very little "stuff". That means far less money buying crap. High taxes only hit high income households. Everything besides rent costs the same as everywhere else, or less.
Now if you want to live the same as everywhere else in the U.S., then NYC is fiendishly expensive. If you want 2,500 square feet of space and two cars like a typical U.S. household, then, yes, New York will be insanely expensive. But if you live like most New Yorkers, it's quite affordable. To me, an expensive place is South Florida, Southern California and the like. Mediocre incomes, high housing costs, heavy car orientation. You get the high costs of a desirable area along with the incomes and lifestyles of regular America.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jtown,man
A poor person could move 90 miles down the road to Philadelphia and your income will almost go 50% further. It just doesn't make sense.
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That would generally be extremely foolish. A poor person is likely much poorer in Philly. Pennsylvania has a very weak safety net; NYC has massive amounts of affordable housing, and subsidized everything.
Why do you think NYC has so many poor despite a reputation of being unaffordable? Poor don't pay market rate anything on necessities. Even in Manhattan, the % poor is quite high, and will probably always be high.