It's an incredibly beautiful region, and that's definitely one of the options I'd consider if I was genuinely forced out, which I didn't mean to suggest I am, it's just that renting is the only viable option. 2 hours away though doesn't really solve that problem if I was trying to unfortunately; things don't get as more affordable as you'd hope.

But costs aside, the answer is that the people and things I do in the city are what bring my life substance, and being from the suburbs, it's a deeply isolating sort of existence that relies pretty heavily on having a car. I've personally never aligned with the idea of working remotely and isolating myself further; it would seem to me a recipe for depression.

I love being in nature, isolated and away from the city, at times, but not most of the time. I like leaving my place to walk to the grocery store, the cafe, and along the way being able to bump into people I know by name and ask them how things are going. I like walking to the gym, especially when it's raining (a lot), and having my small community of people there. Incredible food is nearby as well, concert venues, easy access to the airport, none if which I'm indulging in all the time but enough that it really brings flavour into my life.

I also like biking around, and for that there's actually quite a lot better infrastructure for in the city vs out, and it's easier to just get on a bus and go into the wilderness.

The crackhead comment was a bit flippant. I don't have a problem with anyone experiencing addiction, it's just a deep irony I find a little sad, akin to "instead of making it easier to build a life here, we'll just make it easier to fall out the bottom", though I know things are wildly more complex than that.

Lastly, aside from all those reasons, there are theoretically more job opportunities in the city, and that's good for my partner who doesn't work remotely and for me during the periods where there is no programming work.

To me, a good city is the culmination of social systems including capitalism that benefit from having more people around. A greater social circle of people available, more market, more jobs, more culture, better transit systems, art, etc..

Edit: I'd add the the only aspect of living in a city that's busy or particularly loud are automobiles, and to an extent the train. Very little of any generalized chaos is the result of many people ambiently being around, depending I guess on your individual tolerance for that and where specifically you might be. It's never once occurred to me that there are too many people around.