<p>Big cities like Paris and London? </p>
<p>Many US “major” cities are small for many “big city” persons (I grew up in Hong Kong). Also, most cities in the US are not pedestrian frieldly and very spread out, unlike European big cities. Houston is one example. If you don’t have a car, it can be frustrating. Forget about relying on public transit; it’s third-world and terrible in most places. Use Google map and cyber tour with street view to see for yourself.</p>
<p>If you want cities with many people walking around and where you can rely on public transit to go to various parts of the city, stick with NYC, Chicago, Boston, or San Francisco. Boston and SF are actually small when compared to London/Paris but they are vibrant with plenty of people on streets. Some cities like, say, San Jose and Phoenix are actually bigger but they feel much smaller, less cultured, less vibrant, and sorta like clusters of suburbs because they are spread out (San Jose residents call San Francisco “the city”).</p>