It all falls down though as soon as you have any significant priority in your life other than work however. Just a partner who works elsewhere will put you in a quandry, and a family will totally do you over (schools immediately elevate to trump just about any other priority).
I think there's a lot to be said for living close to work, but there's even more to be said for cities investing well provisioned, fast and inexpensive public transport. The intangible benefits from a happier, more flexible, mobile workforce are huge. Where I live I am extremely fortunate: I am 45 minutes away from work by train, but 95% of the time I can sit down and work on my laptop for 80% of that time. So I see my "effective" commute as about 15 minutes.
I'm in strong agreement here. The character and nature of the commute play a huge role. There's a big difference between sitting in a train for 45 minutes and sitting in a car in traffic for 45 minutes. Being able to free your mind from the stresses of conducting a vehicle make a longer commute far more tolerable long-term IMO. Investing in public transportation is where it's at.
I think there's a lot to be said for living close to work, but there's even more to be said for cities investing well provisioned, fast and inexpensive public transport. The intangible benefits from a happier, more flexible, mobile workforce are huge. Where I live I am extremely fortunate: I am 45 minutes away from work by train, but 95% of the time I can sit down and work on my laptop for 80% of that time. So I see my "effective" commute as about 15 minutes.