Never heard of Eloise? You have to pick it up.

Interesting points. I think that they both represent a city-wide unity to a common threat, which is somewhat different than self-fulfilled, individualistic meaning and purpose. Spider-man utilized a post-9/11 sentiment of collective urban power to overcome the enemy (or, at least empower Peter Parker), while Ghostbusters (it’s been a while since I’ve seen it, so bear with me) was more or less cheesy nationalization (at least the sequel).

In either case, it’s not the celebration of the overall location that’s the issue, but the fact that it seems incapable of thematically imparting “values” to an individual (or a couple, if we’re talking rom-com) upon visiting or living there.

Eloise? I’m not sure who you’re referring to. I myself commute to the city, and while it’s tricky, its not as if the locale is devoid of meaning and heart.