Extra bonus to tall buildings having enormous amounts of space: rent is cheaper, and as a result more businesses are viable! There is a depressing "sameness" t

Extra bonus to tall buildings having enormous amounts of space: rent is cheaper, and as a result more businesses are viable! There is a depressing "sameness" to American cities and their amenities that's oft remarked-upon but I remain convinced that the single biggest contributor to that is real estate. When real estate costs that much the level of business to break even is astronomical, and only businesses with the broadest possible (and correspondingly, blandest possible) reach survive. The thing I love most about the Tokyo is the absolutely off-the-walls level of tiny businesses catering to incredibly niche interests. A great majority of these businesses would be totally unviable in the US - real estate in major cities is too expensive, and real estate outside the major cities have too small of a market.