I haven't recommended a Strida for you because are too tall; but as a Strida rider I can assure you there's nothing wrong with 16" wheels! While it's true that 16" wheels don't work well with a derailleur, they work very nicely with an internally geared hub or, as in the case of the Strida, a single speed.

You may think they'd be worse on bumps; but I haven't found that to be the case.

The real advantage of small wheels is in inertia. Among other things, you can get up to cruising speed with less effort, which is a big plus if your commute has a lot of traffic stops.