I remember living in a small town and being on the outside of the “community” he so proudly boasts about. Small towns aren’t “communities”, they’re gossipy high schoolers that never left. I remember going to church and having “friendly” church people openly make slights about my family because we were poor. I remember people say hello to you on the street and then immediately turn to their friend and say “Did you hear about ____ and what happened?”
Nah, screw all of that. Big cities no one knows you and you can be you without being ostrasized just for going outside. I don’t have neighborhood karens asking me what I’m doing in their neighborhood.
I have never been carjacked or mugged, but I have been pushed out of small town cul-de-acs because I had police called on me and my friends for being “up to no good”. So yeah, keep your small town “communities”, I’m much happier being outside of them.