Living in cities can be the ultimate psychological challenge. Allow me to explain: cities are designed to push your human limits, often while providing public transportation, subpar social services, a lack of community, and a sense of grandeur when you snap a photo in front of a restaurant, business, or building that you’ll likely never own. Even if you did, government regulations can stifle any entrepreneurial spirit you may have.

Furthermore, cities offer a plethora of options, not all of them positive. It’s easy to encounter individuals who are single, childless, and lonely, especially in the aftermath of Covid. Waking up to sirens every day, dealing with constant petty and serious crimes, facing homelessness, high taxes, substandard living arrangements, and exorbitant rents is often touted as a form of culture!

If your primary reason for enduring life in a challenging Northeast or West Coast liberal city is the food, here’s a newsflash: you can find sushi in places like Las Vegas.