[NT!]

yeah what are some of these 'medium sized cities' that people are advocating? i think most of the desirable small cities are either college towns or some weird resort towns like asheville NC or the berkshires. when i think of medium-sized cities not in either of these categories, all that comes to mind is places like winston-salem or lubbock or something.

college towns and resort / vacation areas are likely to have more arts and culture type stuff due to the demographic, and they are small enough that you can go out a mile or two and find affordable housing. good luck with that in a major city.