I think a sweet spot are neighborhoods ~10-15 minutes from city centers. You usually get a nice mix between city benefits and suburban ones.

Once you get further than that your total transit time starts to grow compared to the average time you'll spend at your destination (i.e shopping, eating, going to a show, whatever). A good ratio for me is about .25 - i.e if I'm going to spend a total of 30 minutes in transit and I have a reason to stay ~> 2 hours then I'm likely to go.

The distance 10-15minutes equates to varies by place and I imagine the transportation options can also move the dial as well.