The right explanation for New York might be that what the "already wealthy people who choose to live in New York the way it is" already expressed their preferen

The right explanation for New York might be that what the "already wealthy people who choose to live in New York the way it is" already expressed their preference, and it's for a city full of skyscrapers. The theory makes some sense if you have a wealthy city that's remained stubbornly low-rise (Paris?). But if you love NYC you probably like the skyscrapers, rather than viewing them as a necessary evil.