Manhattan != NYC One can live in e.g. Kew Gardens, have a 35 minute commute to midtown, and pay $2000 / month for a spacious two bedroom shared with spouse and

Manhattan != NYC One can live in e.g. Kew Gardens, have a 35 minute commute to midtown, and pay $2000 / month for a spacious two bedroom shared with spouse and child. No trust fund needed. If your friends prefer Austin to Queens, more power to them. But they ought not to go around saying it is impossible to live/raise a family in NYC on less than $125k when it isn't true.