But on the other hand, if there were a cheapish, fast way to get from say Philadelphia to NYC, I might trade my $3500/mo Manhattan apartment for a $2000 new con

But on the other hand, if there were a cheapish, fast way to get from say Philadelphia to NYC, I might trade my $3500/mo Manhattan apartment for a $2000 new construction rental in Philly and take the train to work every day. 45 minutes is a shorter commute than many people have from Queens or Brooklyn.