Hah, chouette, re: "lovely": Moncton has improved noticeably from when I lived there six years ago -- more public art, nicer parks, a growing farmers market/food scene -- but it still can't hold a candle to my similarly-sized hometown (Burlington, Vermont). I think Moncton has the potential to be lovely (lots of green space, a riverfront, bilingual culture, a pretty bustling economy), but it isn't there yet.
While a lot of comparable small US cities (especially on the coasts) are putting energy into developing downtown centers to cater to the increasingly urbanized millennial demographic, it seems to me that the same age group in Atlantic Canada is still pretty content with a more suburban lifestyle. Most of our friends there are in the process of upgrading from mid-sized starter homes/condos to larger homes on larger lots, mostly new or new-ish construction. It gives the city a decidedly sprawl-y/car-dependent feel.
