That’s a hell of a price to pay for the privilege of living in the WORLD’S GREATEST CITY (just ask them) with the WORLD’S GREATEST POLICE DEPARTMENT with all the vibrancy, diversity, (and formerly) museums, broadway, fine dining etc.
Culture? Yes, but what does that really mean? I love the Metropolitan Museum, but it's not like I would go there every other day. I love good restaurants, but I don't want to eat out every night, and NYC isn't the only place in the world with good restaurants. If you like Opera or the symphony, you can have your fill there, but most people don't go weekly to the Opera or symphony. If you like sports, you have to either watch the Knicks stink up the Garden, or you have to commute to the stadiums that are all outside of Manhattan. Art? Yes, but the major collections don't change that much, with the exception of traveling collections etc. (which, because they are ‘traveling’, you can see at a lot of places).
Anyway, I'd rather go for a hike in nature than dodge cars crossing Manhattan streets.