From random readings, it appears that great musicians, scientists, artists live not only during the same era, but usually very close to one another.

I guess today you could call the Internet the city/town.

There is also something to be said about what seems to be serendipity. When there is a high concentration of people doing the same thing, you are more likely to bump into people who can help you turn your vision into a reality. This is why you hear the joke "Go to jail with a bachelor in theft, come out with a PHD in insert_high_level_crime_here."