They were willing to be crowded because it used to allow greater opportunities. Economic being the primary, which is why the “starving artist” trope only exists in massive Metropolitan areas, when a large source of capital is available in an area then people will flock to it. Think of it like how Californian companies are fleeing to Texas cities, Californian cities are larger but the government has made capital access minimal, so the businesses move to areas where there is more capital to access. This is also why corporations moved “headquarters” to poor countries who offer cheaper accommodations. A prostitute could make more money than most skilled labor jobs in a city simply because the access to capital is greater.
And that's where the seeds of the city's later corruption and decline starts, right when the thing seems the healthiest. It isn't just legit businessmen that contribute positive things that are attracted to a growing boom town.
They were willing to be crowded because it used to allow greater opportunities. Economic being the primary, which is why the “starving artist” trope only exists in massive Metropolitan areas, when a large source of capital is available in an area then people will flock to it. Think of it like how Californian companies are fleeing to Texas cities, Californian cities are larger but the government has made capital access minimal, so the businesses move to areas where there is more capital to access. This is also why corporations moved “headquarters” to poor countries who offer cheaper accommodations. A prostitute could make more money than most skilled labor jobs in a city simply because the access to capital is greater.
And that's where the seeds of the city's later corruption and decline starts, right when the thing seems the healthiest. It isn't just legit businessmen that contribute positive things that are attracted to a growing boom town.