Id have been in my mid ****s in the mid 70s. New York always appeared glamorous where anything and everything was possible. Music, fashion, clubs. Musicians of the time all seemed to head there. It was shrouded in a sort of iconic mystery. I was probably seduced by the perception of its culture.
Its very different now. Ease of travel and social media make these places more easily accessible and real.
Of course it had no football cricket or rugby so would never have moved there. And I never actually had any desire to travel there.
History says NY was in serious decline through the first part of the 70s. But, to be fair, it was probably the first modern city state and followed by many others - London, Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur.