when I could spend those fifteen years living in the burbs in a big house with the white picket fence in almost any other major city in the US?
Why would you speak "in general" about something so specific - this really isn't a goal for everyone. All the best for you making your own decisions of course. In my case I will make considerable tradeoffs to hopefully never live in a 'burb again.It's also worth noting that cities aren't fungible.