Help - life in Germany

Esslingen is part of the Stuttgart metropolitan area (which also extends to Ludwigsburg and Böblingen/Sindelfingen and beyond), with far above a million people.
I live between the two (12min by commuter train to Stuttgart and 4min to Esslingen) and do not feel like I'm in a village. But I believe that depends on your individual standpoint and expectations.
Of course during the current "lockdown light" you cannot expect any exciting events. But in normal years Stuttgart is known for its festivals and Esslingen for a beautiful (and very crowded) Christmas market. Both also have numerous "Besenwirtschaften", temporary (and very popular, although now all closed) restaurants run by wine growers.
Those times will return - until then it's better you find entertainment at home!

Thank you very much for your answer! It means a lot to me 😊

Sorry but Stuttgart has over 800,000 people and many suburbs and nearby cities. It is the 5th largest city in Germany. The streets probably seem empty because there is a lock-down now in effect because of Corona. Similar everywhere in Germany now.

In fact my wife, who comes from Asia (with its oversized, overpopulated cities) did say pretty much the same as you when she arrived here 17 years ago (at a time without any emergency): "Why are the streets so empty, where are all the people???"
Whereas a friend of mine from Finland (a country the size of Germany, but with only 5 million people) couldn't stand the crowds, even in mid-sized and smallish German towns.
Everything is a matter of perspective! (And both got used to it and like Germany now.)

Well, i hope i will like it 😊But its sad, even now when its corona, in Nis with barely 250k people is way more crowded and everything work 😁 So but its not Corona, because your wife said that 17 years ago, so its true, there are empty in cities. Maybe its not in really big one, Hamburg, Berlin.

Again, it is just nonsensical to judge during a lock-down.

Stuttgart has opera and many theaters, cinemas, bars, restaurants, cafes, sports teams and facilities... In fact Stuttgart has an amazing amount of culture, often world class, and things happening for its size. It is not the most cosmopolitan city but has many things going on especially in summer when there are often multiple festival happening at the same time. 

Sorry but I have been to 60 countries world-wide including cities like New York, LA, San Fransisco, Chicago, Houston, Toronto, Bombay, Delhi, Paris, London, Jakarta, Bangkok, Hanoi, Moscow, Berlin, Copenhagen, Barcelona, Madrid, Stockholm, Amsterdam, Berlin, Munich, Zürich, Rome, Milan, Prague, Budapest, Vienna,  Buenos Aires, Santiago, Lima, Quito, Mexico City  and many more - and I don't think any of them have much more happening for their size. And like I mentioned Stuttgart is not  a huge metropolis but it is not small either.

As I said, it's a matter of perspective and expectations.
Germans don't just mingle without apparent purpose, as is common in mediterranean countries. That's why inner cities here are empty on Sundays, when all shops are closed and there's little other reason to visit. To meet Germans, you have to follow their purpose (e.g. visit a music festival).