When I visit Europe for business, etc. I tend to stay in core downtown. A lot of my co-workers in Europe don't actually do that and drive to an office outside the city.
For me, it’s more about the habitability of the European cities themselves than anything related to the relative commutes. It’s quite nice to be able to step outside the office for lunch or a coffee, sit in the park, and see others (of all ages) enjoying well-designed public spaces. Thats mostly impossible outside a handful of major metropolitan areas in the US, and then there, largely only in specific, wealthy neighborhoods. You have to get in a car, drive to Panera or whatever other miserable chain, quickly eat your microwaved meal, and then drive back before your break is over.
Yes, although where I work, most of our main European offices are not in the city. (This is true in North America as well.) We have some smaller satellite offices in cities proper but they're mostly for customer and other visits.
