The whole point of a housing co-op is that you do have an ownership stake in what would otherwise be a landlord and/or property manager - meaning that you, and your fellow residents, can
compel that other entity to care
entirely about your bill situation and so on.
The more common reason people often don't want to live in big city condo buildings is simply because they offer less space than single-family homes. There's a balance to be struck between space, affordability, and proximity to work/amenities, and while everyone prioritizes those three factors differently, a lot of people end up finding that balance to lie in the suburbs.
> If I have a place in the burbs I only have to worry about the soulless local government.
Unless/until there's an HOA, in which case you're in the exact same predicament, at best.
