Entering at #18. I agree with all of the above. But one more factor to throw in is the commute. In smaller cities this is often not a problem Above a certain threshold, however, you get trapped in a downward spiral. Here in DC, people in the 'burbs are spending 2-4 hours a day in their cars, and if someone has a flat tire on the beltway, Northern Virginia gridlocks. Those inner city neighborhoods start to look pretty attractive when you are spending half your non-work waking hours sitting in traffic. It's really just a matter of getting the junkie to yuppie ratio in proper balance.
A good city neighborhood is like a small town, with the addition of big city amenities within easy reach. I have work, church, my kids' elementary and middle schools, groceries, plenty of shopping, and over a hundred restaurants with 1.5 miles -- all this in a walkable, bikeable neighborhood with quiet tree-lined streets and not much traffic. Hard to beat.