QoL is much much better in the city IMO. The only downside is rent, and maybe parking. I have access to lively nightlife, food, shops, etc, whereas in suburbs stuff is closed by 8/9PM.

Of course, this varies by stage of life; I don't have kids, so I'd prefer the city to a suburb.

I was paying close to twice the area average in rent so I could be within walking distance of a bunch of restaurants and bars and such. Then the pandemic hit and I was paying a fortune to live in a smaller-than-average box. Although looking back on it, even before the pandemic hit I only really took advantage of my proximity to those locations a few days a month.

I'm uncertain to what degree life will go back to how it was before, but even in the best case scenario I'd probably be better off living in a cheaper area and using the money I save to get an uber to the bar. I'm a lot easier to move than my residence.

Quality of life outside the big city is better? Do you mean in the suburbs? Or in a small town? Or in a village? Or in the wilderness in a cabin?

Yes, all of those things are better than living in cities.

Less noise, less crowding, less violence and crime, more space, more peace, and more friendliness.

The friendliness thing is hit and miss, small communities have their own brand of dysfunctions.

How so? There is way more stuff to do in the city, than in rural Ohio (for example), friendliness is very subjective, if you are "one of them" then yes, they will be nice to you, if you look different, then things change. More space? duh, there is a reason no one wants to live there. Less people == less crime and violence (most of the time). Less noise, yeah, thats true.

If you are one for the Night Life, bars, events, etc then sure pre-covid and maybe post covid the city was for you.

For many people however "City Life" was for economic reality, that is where the work is, so that is where they were. They did not care about "night life", hated having to shop daily for groceries, etc etc

"Boring" suburban life is appealing to ALOT of people, boring life where the most exciting thing that happens is old bob hit something with the mower...

As to "one of them", this is true for many communities including the city, when "country folk" come into the city they are often treated with hostility and disdain. In fact I would say poor treatment of "outsiders" is MORE common and MORE pronounced in cities than in suburbs. This however could be my personal experience showing through as I grew up in the country around farmers, and conservative (not political but in the reserved traditional sense of the word) so I was an outsider in the city.

That is just not true , at least in the US. Minorities and immigrants are treated considerably worst in rural areas than in the cities. I get some people want to live in the country. As I said , most people like to interact with other human beings, outside the Sunday church gathering. Being from a rural town in the US doesn't make an outsider in any city, I would say the other way around is correct, the city is big enough you can find a bar where your country fellas go, people who "hate the city", what really hate is diversity, competition and civility(with exceptions). In the other hand, a family of asian immigrants, for example, will have a hard time, in a white evangelical small town anywhere in the US.

This is not my experience, there is plenty of area's in cities where outsiders will be mugged, beaten, or other wise treated terribly.

This idea that only white people treat minorities badly is insane and not fit with actual realty (and is actually racist )

Is it insane tho? Reality you said? Are you sure you want to make that argument? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racism_in_the_United_States , your ”argument” is as racist as Carlson Tucker’s “What’s white supremacy ? anyway”

Yes to all of those, for me at least. I'm not denying there are some upsides to city living (easy access to office being the big one) but I wouldn't move back to one without at least double the salary.