Crowded places (e.g. New York, London, Beijing, Tokyo) are where the jobs and opportunities are. It was true 2000 years ago (e.g. Rome), 300 years ago (e.g Paris) and still true today.
Where there is wealth, there is a supporting infrastructure of culture (e.g. cuisine, music, theater, dance, museums, sports...and ehrm...SPs, lol) because a higher population/wealth makes those pursuits viable. Even if someone is not well-off, they can easily access all of those cultural opportunities. Also in today's world, you're more likely to find better healthcare in cities than isolated towns.
Let us not forget that the cultivation of earth is the most important labour of man. When tillage begins, the other arts will follow. The farmers, therefore, are the founders of civilzation.
Daniel Webster






