I'm really happy where I am right now (lovely house half a mile from Lake Michigan and on the edge of a forest preserve) 25 miles north of Chicago. I get all the advantages of an amazing city with the quiet suburban lifestyle too. Thankfully Chicagoland is very liberal so we don't suffer the same challenges as people living in Texas, Florida etc. The only downside is an hour's commute to and from work (I work downtown) but I can take the train some days if I don't want to drive. Having said that, when living in Boro I've commuted to Scarborough, York, Sunderland and Newcastle so it's no worse than that.
As others have said, the US is no paradise, but there is enough that I like about here to make me happy for now (just as well as my Visa is expired and so I am currently stuck here). It won't be my forever place though, retirement plans involve a house somewhere on the NY Moors.