I think there's a lot of people who live in these areas who don't take full advantage of them. Jobs funnel these people into the cities when they could have a h

I think there's a lot of people who live in these areas who don't take full advantage of them. Jobs funnel these people into the cities when they could have a higher standard of living elsewhere. That said, I hate the cities vs. towns debate because it dismisses the fact that people are different, and value different experiences. Cities offer a lot of things that smaller communities don't. There's much more vibrant arts scenes, a greater variety of amenities (bars, restaurants, concert venues, museums, etc.) and much greater diversity. Traffic isn't a problem if you don't own a car, and city neighborhoods (outside downtown) can provide more a sense of community than you might think. The tradeoff is, of course, space and affordability. For some people, that tradeoff is worth it, and for others it isn't.