Well, if you want the best of both worlds, surely Prestwick holds the answer.
Hour and a half down the road, reasonably quiet, but still a few 74s to play tig with, ATC, the longest runway your likely to get unless you fly a space shuttle and, if what my sources tell me is true, some pretty good training.
I fancy it strikes a good balance between 'grassroots' and 'big league.'
Regards, BGPM.