You’re constructing a straw man and arguing against it. I didn’t find Amsterdam boring because I couldn’t drive around. I found it boring because there was a li

You’re constructing a straw man and arguing against it. I didn’t find Amsterdam boring because I couldn’t drive around. I found it boring because there was a limited set of repetitive things I could conveniently access. I found it pleasant, but also homogeneous and plain. There is greater variety to be had in most American cities, simply because you can access more neighborhoods, businesses, amenities, whatever in a short amount of time on your own terms. If you have to deal with public transit (slower speeds, wait times, changing lines, etc) then any such activity simply requires more time and makes it less likely you’ll do it. You end up living a less rich life as a result. All that said, I appreciated the intercity trains.