I don’t know a single city I’d choose to live in.
Grew up outside DC; When I had to professionally, I spent at least a few years each in Memphis, Albuquerque, Cincinnati, San Diego, Nashville; more than brief visits to New York twice, Boston twice,Tucson, San Francisco, Dallas a number of times; a few days or more in Chicago, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Denver, Richmond, Phoenix, Las Vegas, LA. And all those were back when they those cities were a heck of a lot better than I hear they are lately.
Currently live an hour and a half drive from Seattle and avoid it like the plague.
Concerning American cities, I agree with Steve McQueen: “I rather wake up in the middle of nowhere than in any city on earth.” I enjoyed London for several months when young, and a number of months in Chengdu back before China modernized. Probably not the same now.
My youngest brother couldn't understand when my wife and visited him and his family last year why we didn't especially want to visit Seattle. He lives in Olympia. We explained to him, with some difficulty, that we enjoy the "empty" spaces of America far more than congested cities no matter what attractions the big cities may occasionally offer as far as services and entertainment. Nothing makes me happier on a trip out west than to look out the car window and see "nothing." By that I mean no signs of "civilization."
Some parts of China are modernized. And even certain civilized parts, for example Beijing, are only modernized in certain touristy areas. Even so my younger brother and his wife took a trip to China a few years ago and said they'd never go back. Off the beaten path was exceptionally filthy and many of the Chinese were rude to foreigners. Nevertheless, I'd like to visit China some day. But after she heard my brother and his wife describe their horrible experience, I'll have a difficult time convincing my wife to go.