It sounds like you're mainly referencing Friends here, with your "work at a coffee shop...in Manhattan by Central Park" comment. Monica inherited her apartment from her grandmother and was able to grandfather in her super cheap rent, which is why she and Rachel are able to afford to live there.
While it's not 100% accurate to real life, I think the way modern American living is portrayed in most movies/TV shows is pretty damn true to the real thing. They might exaggerate things slightly, but I can't think of any movies or TV off-hand that have people living in completely unrealistic situations without some sort of explanation for it (see Friends, above).