The strength of the south isn't in her urban cities... don't think the south will win stacking them up side by side. I can't say its in the countryside either; I'd take Adirondacks,VT, and NH over the Appalachians.
South climate is Munich better, I don't think there is any debate here.
Culturally, its different. I'm not one to say NY cusine, for example, is better than Carolina or Louisiana, that's a matter of taste, imho. I suppose NY has more arts (theatre, for example) if that's what you are in to, and certainly better schools, although the south is not devoid of upper-calibre universities.
If money wasn't an issue, I'd rather live in the north, personally. As it is, I'm happy with how far my dollar stretches in Charlotte. I like my 20 min commute, my big house, and proximity to friends and family. I like being 2 hours from mountains, 3 hours from the beach, and a simple 4-5 hours from Florida.