I don't mind them that much, because bigger worlds are subdivided into the smaller neighbourhoods and they are designed to look a bit different from each other, so small worlds feel like a sub neighbourhood anyway. I have kept Magnolia Promenade as a shopping district in my game but I would have liked to be able to fit more shops in it. Glimmerbrook looks like an upscale neighbourhood but if you want to add some upscale community venues like a restaurant or a spa, there aren't many lots left for housing, so yes, it would be better to have a minimum of 7-8, maybe even 10 lots per neighbourhood.
