No, the alternative is living somewhere else. This is obvious to anyone that has watched the rental and housing market in a city across economic boom/bust cycle

No, the alternative is living somewhere else. This is obvious to anyone that has watched the rental and housing market in a city across economic boom/bust cycles: - Bust: Demand dries up from the beleaguered economic sector (e.g., tech in SF after .com crash, finance in NYC post-housing bubble crash). Prices drop. Demand rises, fast, with residents moving in from the boroughs/suburbs. - Boom: Demand is extremely high from the booming economic sector. Prices increase to match, unmet demand drops as those outside the boom sector move out to the boroughs/suburbs.