I prefer a small town that’s geographically close to a larger city and public transit. Sounds weird but I’m actually lucky enough to currently live in such a place. Everybody in my town is super friendly, I’ve not had a single porch pirate incident or other securoty since I moved in over a year ago, even after accidentally leaving the trunk of my car open overnight, plenty of nature, cheap(er) groceries… and then I can hit the subway to hit the rest of civilization.