I can only take it in small doses nowadays. I live out in the woods and have to travel quite a distance to get my fix. Iceland looks incredible from the videos I have seen, but I'm not sure I can take the cold. 

Priiiistine, my god. Lemme show you some waterfalls in untouched valleys over here.

But yes, take your point: NYC has something special that most other cities don't 

denlillaapan

BooksAndArticles

New York Offers a Sense of Permanence (City Journal, Rob Henderson)

I like the grime. You should have seen it in the 1970s. It's downright pristine now. I was born here, so it's home. I have a biased view. When I travel to other cities they always seem to be missing something tangible. They seem like movie sets. New York just seems more real. No question that living in NYC is a gigantic pain in the ass. 