A lot of advice basically takes the form, "people should be more like me," but at risk of that in this case: I'd just try to find ways to maximize the benefits

A lot of advice basically takes the form, "people should be more like me," but at risk of that in this case: I'd just try to find ways to maximize the benefits of homeownership. Try to take advantage of the things you can't do (easily) in NYC. I'm in Providence now and I miss NYC all the time, but I also have a garden and I put a little workshop in my garage and I'm trying to learn woodworking and I like to take on DIY projects and I play my guitar louder than I would in an apartment etc, etc. This is the flipside of living in a tiny studio in Hell's Kitchen and pretending nicer apts don't exist. It's just a matter of making the most of it, in either case.