> Also, it might be my ignorance of american culture. But to me it seems america lacks a certain sense of regional culture that exists in most other places arou

> Also, it might be my ignorance of american culture. But to me it seems america lacks a certain sense of regional culture that exists in most other places around the world That is largely your ignorance (not in a bad sense - it's just that you aren't aware of it). Some cities in the US are like that - no regional culture - because they have so many people moving in and out from different places, and they are so physically massive (Los Angeles for example sprawls like few cities do). Between the coasts though, there are tons of places with good sized cities, great community, and a strong regional culture.