You can say that again. NYC is comprised of young people doing their 2 year post college urban living experiment. Soon, enough, they'll discover what millions of others who have moved on to FL and elsewhere already know.
Now, add to that mix ambitious, hustling immigrants, and the city maintains a buzz of energy and excitement for which it has long been famous.
Third, consider the ridiculously bad weather - hot or cold, and there is no one with any sense who isn't into the get-ahead hustle that is just going to occupy space enjoying the day.
My wife went to college in NYC and we still visit 2-3 times per year. I love it for a long weekend. Every now and then we'll fantasize about getting a small unit and possibly living short term during spring or fall, but it's always a pipe dream. No matter how much fun we have, the luster eventually is lost and we're glad to get back home.
CA/OR/WA/CO, OTOH, is the opposite of NY, the east coast and mid-west. This is where people actually want to live, including the mentally ill. They may be crazy, but they're not stupid.
Someone wiser than me once said if the USA was first populated from the west, no one would have ever moved back east. It's just nicer here, and that's a core fact. So, we get the homeless pouring in from the entire country, and posting up just about everywhere imaginable.
Hilarious.