You're falling for supply-side economics. It's not the amenities driving up costs. It's the fact that people will pay ridiculous rents, whether or not amenities are there. Location only affects the degree of insanity. You could take out the fitness centers, concierges, etc. in Uptown and people would still pay a ton of money to live there. Demand is driving cost.The point I guess I'm trying to make, is there must be SOME amenities (pools, fitness centers, concierge, etc etc etc) that can be taken away to give the "normal people" the opportunity to enjoy something that isn't 1000+ a month for a studio or 100 years old.
Price isn't primarily set by the cost of goods. It's set by what people will pay. If people won't pay enough, the amenities won't be there.