I've lived and grew up in NYC for almost 30 years and I agree with the author.

Manhattan has become an unaffordable ghost town. Walk down West Village, Union Sq, Flatiron, etc.., you see rows of closed stores that have gone vacant for a very long time now. In contrast, I was in London recently and that city was thriving compared to Manhattan, it was lively and beautiful.

In addition, NYC Subway and transportation is a disgrace. It is on its way to becoming a third-world country equivalent. This was due to mismanagement and corruption. You won't notice how Manhattan has deteriorated until you leave the U.S. and visit other cities in Europe and especially Asia. Even Thailand's subway system is a hell of a lot better than the NYC subway.