[sampo]

Build dense cities.

For example the Tokio-Osaka Shinkansen averages 130 mph over the whole route with 15 stops in between the end stations. You could get from midtown Manhattan to downtown Boston in 1h40min. Make that 1h15min, if the train didn't have stops between NYC and Boston.

So visiting Boston could be almost as fast as visiting the far end of Queens, from Manhattan.