There are pro's and cons to both disciplines and frankly anyone who considers
area to be more challenging than twr, or vice versa, is completely deluded and clearly has no real experience.
The comments about the people you work with are equally irrelevant, there are oddbods in both disciplines, just as there are good people in both, ultimately they are only work colleagues, not your best mates.
Yes, there's more money in area, but if you opt (more likely told that is what you are going to do), you'll never see the light of day again, area people don't get an aerodrome ticket anymore and it's highly unlikely that you'd ever get the chance to be retrained.
If you get ADC/APS then you go where you are told, but after a couple of years you can apply for any vacancy at any airport. ADC/APS gives you flexibility and in my opinion it;s a far more entertaining job. Additionally, if you ever want to leave NATS, you'd easily be able to get a job anywhere in the UK, whereas the great unwashed in area are stuck to a very limited choice.
It's swings and roundabouts, really depending on where you see yourself in ten years time.