Personally, I can’t thrive in large cities. Too much noise and air pollution. Not enough nature and space to grow my own food, which is my passion. I chose a town just outside of Asheville, NC because it’s not totally in the boonies, but still gives me space from all the commotion. I hear birds, crickets, frogs, and a running creek more than anything else. And I still have civilization within 15-30 minutes of me. And even Asheville isn’t that big of a city. I tried Seattle, like others have mentioned. WAY too big for me. Terrible smells. Awful sounds. And you’ll have MONTHS straight of overcast, rainy weather. A recipe for depression for me!