While that's true, I think comparing the East Village back then to the East Village today isn't sufficient to claim that the entire city is too expensive today.

While that's true, I think comparing the East Village back then to the East Village today isn't sufficient to claim that the entire city is too expensive today. Maybe a less drastic approach is fine - instead of "find a new city" which cuts you off from all the resources & audiences only found in a place like NY, just find a new neighborhood.