I've done both and, for a career, living in base for a legacy is hard to beat. If you have to commute, that sucks a lot of the fun out of it. That said, NJ was some of the best flying I ever did. Big airports, little ones and everything in between. Also, I liked being able to give first class service. The airlines are an airborne bus service these days. But for pay, benefits and overall QOL go for the legacy if you don't have to commute.
Sailaway