Every town is a turkey town next to New York.
Whats with New Yorkers severely overrating the city?
I lived in Manhatten and between soho and "noho" for a year. Obviously, New York is a great city with a lot to offer, but it's not this metropolis of awesome, as most New Yorkers try and claim. Frankly, most of the city is pretty fucking dirty.
What makes new York great? Nightlife, amazing places to dine, fashion, women, opportunity - etc. There are many cities in this world that have those same attributes in their portfolios.
Drop someone off in one of the boroughs, in hells kitchen or in the Latin part of Manhatten and see what their reaction is like.