Good piece on MSNBC:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6844210/


What would be your 5?

The five they have are good. Maybe I'd put Miami in as one of the centers of latin culture in the US. And although New York City can be considered a "melting pot" in terms of cultures, in many ways NYC is the prime example of Urban eastern US life; which is a culture in it's own right.

I would add Sante Fe as the Southwest cultural capital, or perhaps Tucson, in lieu of Las Vegas. They are both symbols of Native American culture and sweeping landscapes. I don't view gambling as a culture despite its popularity.

It seems like if you just go to the big cities, you miss out on the small town culture that is the daily life of so many americans. To me, you haven't really experienced the US if you haven't driven in the backroads and hills of Kentucky or Tennessee or any small rural town. So many people live that way. If you think you know america just by visiting cities, you are missing out.

snowrooster - I agree. As someone who has grown up in the Chicago suburbs and has lived in the city proper for many years, I think that it is a great experience to get out and see smaller towns and the rural bits of the US, or any country for that matter, you really get a feel of how varied peoples lifestyles can really be.