I'm used to riding in town with downtube friction shifters on a 3x8 system so all that "shift before stopping" is second nature. I changed to a Shimano Alfine systems for more carefree city riding and that is exactly what I got. I find that I have to pay less attention to dealing with the bike so I can pay more attention to traffic, whats for lunch, pretty girls, mmmm beer.
Wheel removal is a little bit more involved but not much. No cable adjustment is needed when refitting.
The bike collects less dirt esp during dark, damp winters so the only regular maintenance I do is lubing the chain. In 3 years I have stripped and oil-dipped the internals once and they were in fine condition.