where would you rather live?

i've been getting into this discussion a lot lately. friends, family, and colleagues (check out designsponge today for her take) talking about the unaffordability of this wonderful city. how even the outer boroughs, like my lovely brooklyn, are priced out of the range of middle-income NY'ers.

and they're right.

NYC has become ridiculously overpriced. not in food and fun, but definitely in living spaces. the biggest argument against the cost of living here is the size of the footprint you get. most of us live in apartments that are 1500 sq. ft or less. others that have houses are without yards, or only have small ones. it's a toss-up on whether or not you can get a home with a driveway, and parking is a bitch. so why pay so much for so little?

i often look at things from the other point of view... most large houses seem wasteful to me. anything that's 3000 sq. ft. and up for a 1 family home seem unnecessary and somewhat cold. i like the idea that you can cozy up with your friends or family in your smaller space, which often come with so much character. and of course, you pay the price for all that is around you in this great city.

but then, that's me. living here in my new apartment -- very inexpensive for this city -- i enjoy the size of it. while large enough for us, my office, entertaining, and one day a "baby block", it's still small enough to feel warm and snuggly.

so which would you rather? paying more for a small space in a big city? or paying less for a larger space in a less cosmopolitan hub?