Television sets and clothing is 'empty gifts of capitalism', not necessarily expensive. Take a look at benefit claimants in the UK - typically they have a bigge

Television sets and clothing is 'empty gifts of capitalism', not necessarily expensive. Take a look at benefit claimants in the UK - typically they have a bigger TV than you do and clothes with 'better' branding than you do. Once you take market rate prices for housing out of the work-bills equation you find 'empty gifts of capitalism' can be afforded. I would say that as well as 'cheap' being a reason to live there, there is also the matter of community. You are probably better able to borrow a cup of sugar from your neighbours there than if you lived in a gated community. People are much more likely to know each other's business so there is security that guns/police/CCTV can't buy. So long as you don't mind the stairs and fire hazards (which can't be that much worse than the Twin Towers), all is good.