I personally would prefer a nice suburb on the outskirts of a small city maybe medium city tops, but I don't think I'd enjoy the big city. I've lived in the burbs for one large part of my life, and then in the boonies for another large part, and then within a small city for another small part. I said country since I enjoy the burbs/country more even though I like to be within 30 minutes or so of the city.
Madison, Wisconsin is my example of a small city that I've grown up around and enjoy.