New York wasn't in the 70s and 80s for the same reason Detroit is now.

if only there were a fungible way to measure which land is "desirable" or not, and then allow people to build there instead of making it illegal.

> New York is a city that people all around the world want to live in I don't know anyone that wants to live in NY. I would not move there for a 7 figure salary. I think some opinions in this discussion are based on old realities from 50 years ago, no longer accurate.