...despite being born during the sitcom’s run

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/04/nyregion/friends-has-new-bffs-new-york-teenagers.html

“In the back of our minds we know it’s unrealistic,” says 15-year-old Maggie Parham. But, according to the NY Times, she and other New York City teens are enamored by the dreamscape dimension of its portrayal of a city they don’t remember, or that never existed.

The 1990s sitcom is suddenly popular with high school students, who are drawn by a stress-free portrayal of post-collegiate life in New York City.

Maybe that's why I never liked the show because I'm living in Los Angeles.

My niece, a midwesterner born in '96, got the complete series set for Christmas a few years ago, while she was still in high school.

I think it appeals to a lot of young people who fantasize about living in idealized urban settings, all over the country (and likely worldwide).