Seems the gap between poor and 'typical' rich has come down a lot

How do you figure? Back then you could rent a 3bed in NYC for $2000 (in todays dollars). That actual cost for a 3bed in NYC is probably closer to 4k or 5k, as I think a 2bed will usually run you about 3.5k p/m.

So basically the only thing that can be gleaned is that property prices have gone up across the board, unlinked to inflation.

EDIT: the actual cost for a 2 bed is apparently more like $4.1k in NYC. So a 3bed is probably around $5-6k [1].

[1] http://www.nyhabitat.com/new-york-price.html