His letter is interesting and I think he made some points that might be true. The pandemic has changed things quite a bit. The allure of the big city will always be there, but if the work, culture, and restaurant industry leaves what is the allure - homeless, filth, high crime, high cost of living, and high taxes?
I have not been to NYC in many years so I do not know enough to validate or invalidate this letter. However, I do know one thing - check the UHaul prices from NYC to anywhere USA in comparison to the return trip. Uhaul does not lie and the Uhaul index is indicating there are many big cities that are in deep trouble because it is taxpayers who are leaving.
U-Haul is a very good indicator of sociatal decay. Trips out of NYC, Chicago and LA are very expensive.
Kind of like the Waffle House index after a hurricane. If the Waffle House is shut down, it is really bad.