When I see people complaining about never being able to purchase a house my response is always the same. move. $1,100 is considered "well below market rates" for a 1 bedroom apartment in NYC? That's _nuts_ to me. I'm paying $1,600 for a 3 bed, 2 bath 1800 sq ft house with a 2 car garage. Vaulted ceilings, my neighbor is a police officer and I'm on a corner lot across from a park. fire department is literally 3 blocks…
People generally care where they live more than they care about the things you describe. Location is the most important factor for most people in real estate purchases - so much so, that it's a cliche.
You are free to have your own preferences, and I'm glad it has worked out well for you. But let's not be incredulous that others have different priorities - that's the human interaction baseline.