FRIENDS the sitcom - why so popular?

Who doesn't want to live in NYC with a group of their best friends? And also, the show started out with early/mid 20-somethings living away from home, trying to make it on their own -- Rachel trying to get into fashion from being a waitress, Joey the struggling actor, Chandler the temp that doesn't find a job he loves until he's in his 30s .... Their friends were their family, and that's a stage almost everyone can relate to at that age.