I'm kind of puzzled by how you are turned off by hoodlums, but think GTA is great. Surely that's all about violent gangsters and their exploits. What's the difference?
I know it can seem paradoxical or not make sense, but I like GTA V because it isn't just about the "gangsta life", you also get to play as a wealthy criminal/kingpin, not just the ghetto gangbanger, so its diverse. I like that you get to change characters frequently and play different scenarios and missions, for example.
And while it is "gangsta" related, its different in that there are other things that, at least to me, overshadow that feeling, like the ambience and atmosphere, and the re-creation of the Southern California area. For example, as the young hustler guy,you can leave the ghetto gangbangers area, and go to other environments freely, like the beach, the countryside, or a wealthy neighborhood somewhere with an entirely different feeling.
I guess its also because I'm from that area originally - I grew up down in southern California - so the familiarity and the way they did the re-creation so realistically also is very appealing to me. Plus, its just fun how much freedom they put in the game, you can do all sorts of shenanigans and so on, its just very different from many other games.