I moved to NYC from Boulder, CO and people were so mystified why. In Boulder (where I've returned), diversity and tolerance are abstractions, things to profess with stupid placards on suburban lawns. In NYC, diversity and tolerance are (for non-billionaires) requirements for living. Don't like Muslims? Good luck at the bodega. Don't like gays? Better stick to Staten Island.

The suburban loneliness trap is more evil than it seems, since the isolation brings with it more commercial opportunities. More media consumption to curb loneliness, more shopping to curb unhappiness, more space to keep people isolated...it's all design and it's all morally reprehensible.