Our family lives in a suburb of Madrid with an excellent train connection to the city, so we can often be found there. Especially since there is hardly any modern culture in our own village.
Until recently I appreciated Barcelona and Valencia more than Madrid, but now that we are getting to know the city better, that is changing.
It is of course still the case that the distances to interesting places remain large, but public transport is good. There is also beautiful culture and modern art in Madrid beyond the large, overcrowded museums, which makes a visit pleasant.