I've lived for at least a few years in several of your initial list of cities, and I just don't see it. Houston is more about its boundareis than core (which i

I've lived for at least a few years in several of your initial list of cities, and I just don't see it. Houston is more about its boundareis than core (which is weirdly anemic). Toronto has a hugely diverse population and loads of interesting neighborhoods because of it - Calgary doesn't, on all counts. SF and Boston bear the stamp of very different histories, and feel like it. London and Houston are both is some ways defined by a sense of scale, one small the other sprawling. I've not lived in Manhattan but the fair bit of time I've spent there never made me think - this is a lot like city X. Were you spending times in exurbs of these cities? Those can feel samish everywhere.