One time I was on Times Square and I went into one of those really overpriced McDonalds (never again.. for Times Square in general). One of the cashiers was telling me about how he works 80 hours a week to pay rent on an ultra-efficiency (i.e. 5 foot ceiling and enough sq ft for a twin mattress and nothing else) a block or two away... Absolutely maddening, but I have to respect the effort. You are very right about Brooklyn. Hipsters everywhere. Further Brooklyn is still a little more authentic but that's all the more reason it is waiting to be invaded. There are a couple neighborhoods where rent is still.. reasonable. Places like Bed-Stuy.. But the idea of paying $1200/month for a small room in some nasty brownstone is somewhat off-putting. I lived in Philly for some time, but it's a totally different monster (much smaller, much crazier). It's like the crime of New York in the 80s mixed with a small-town feel and a lack of jobs (excluding healthcare, education, and government). The food is pretty great, though and cost of living is really cheap. Plus there's ways to get $13 round-trips to NY and back on comfortable buses with wi-fi if you can put up with insane 2 hour commutes. Living up in NY would definitely be a nice change of pace.. Something I've considered for awhile now. Jobs are much more abundant and the mix of people you might run into is like nothing else.
I spent a few days in New York a week and a half ago. All I can remember is I saw 1000s of hot women everywhere and only about 2-3 ugly ones. That and I did not fake climax becuase of my Katz Deli Sandwich (but it good enough to make you)
