Another vote for Charleston, SC. It is a wonderful city for walking and great restaurants.

New YOrk to me is NEW YORK. There is nothing anywhere like it. It just isn't "european" to me. It is like many cities in that people live in apartment buildings and have neighborhoods. That is what I loved about NYC.
I just find it SO amazingly provincial that there isn't anywhere NYtraveler can recommend to European travelers except large city centers for unique things to see in the US.

New YOrk to me is NEW YORK. There is nothing anywhere like it. It just isn't "european" to me.
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Didn't you see all of those ancient ruins, castles,etc. while you were in New York? LOL
Me neither.

"masses of dull suburbia, highways and malls"
well, duh!
People do have to eat, clothe their kids, buy TVs, and malls are not bad places to hang out in bad weather.
NYC is mostly eating and shopping. Yes, LA and Miami is much the same.
PS: be ware that your Hungarian bf wont runaway when he steps foot in America.

BTW, want a European flavor on the beach? Well, besides some nude beaches in the U.S., check out Coney Island on the 1st day of Summer. That is when the Mermaid Parade is held, and girls(of all ages, 10-65) parade topless or with paint on their breasts. Then, when it's time to head home, they go for a swim to wash it off, and its a topless paradise ala Ibiza or the South of France.
Ifcourse, once in a while, we get Euro or African girls topless.

When Americans travel domestically, we don't go to see suburbia either ;) I do have the feeling that whoever told you that our cities were nothing but dull suburbia, was probably being snobish for effect or had planned badly.

As others have said, there are lots of need areas along the east coast - some are cities and some are small towns. And of course, there is plenty of natural beauty too. Just depends on what your interests are. Let us know what sort of things you like and we can help you narrow your focus.

Las Vegas, South Beach, and Charleston, SC for starters. Don't want boring? Then you have to move around more.

Them Europeans are gonna have some time finding NOLA on the map.

Portland, Oregon of course! America's best city - more breweries than Munich, clean, safe, pedestrian friendly, compact, cheap (no sales tax and low prices to begin with), pretty scenery (11,000' volcano and beautiful coast within 1 hour of the central city), great local wines, great restaurants, Americas best airport - enough already??

See Portland, and then go for a ride around Oregon (old growth forests, volcanoes, high desert, pretty coast line, rainforests, casinos, world class rafting, hiking, fishing for salmon! etc.) - America's best vacation

Hmmm - a road trip from NYC to NC and some people are talking about Oregon, Louisiana, etc? I don't think those are on the way :)

Here are some small, easy to get to, places that give you a real feel for early America - and some of today. They are not much out of your way. Old route 1 parallels route 95 much of the way going south, and there are many interesting places on it.

Fredericksburg, Virginia is a lovely, very historic, small town a couple of hours south of DC that is basically right on your way. Many famous Americans of colonial times lived there and their homes still stand. You can visit many of them. It would even be a good place to overnight.

For something I think is pretty cool, and very American, visit The Pope-Leighey House, on route 1, just south of DC past Alexandria, Virginia. The house is one of Frank Lloyd Wright's Usonian Houses. It is a fabulous example of the work of one of America's greatest architects. It is also not really out of your way going south. It is near Mount Vernon, home of George Washington, if you are interested.

Also think Willamsburg would be nice. Don't double back to DC. Tour old Willamsburg. Then drive the short distance to Jamestown and take the ferry across the James River. At the first major intersection (three or four miles, I think (It has been awhile since I drove it) there is a little white building on the right that has southern Virginia style food at good prices. If you don't eat there (or after you eat), go south at the intersection down to the little river town of Smithfield, Virginia (about 1/2 hour). There is another wonderful restaurant/hotel (Smithfield Inn) on the left, on the water as you pass through the town. Continue south about 1/2 hour to the highway that connects back west to 95 south.

Does anyone else think this question is posted by a troll? Is it for real? Because it is such a rude way of inquiring about the US.

I also thought it was a little rude sounding, but thought perhaps the op was just young and didn't quite know how to ask exactly what she is looking for.

<i>but we were told that many American cities are nothing but masses of dull suburbia, highways and malls..... and that's exactly what I want to avoid</i>

Why take the opinions of others as your truth?
Please travel with an open mind, and decide for yourself.

HTTY

I too gave the OP the benefit of the doubt - she does sound young and maybe wasn't aware of how her comments came off. English may also not be her first language. Who knows? But the fact that she hasn't come back to answer any of the requests for additional info makes me think that she isn't seriously researching a trip.

She is a young thing. If you click her screen name, you'll find a photo taken of her the day she joined this forum--December 10, 2010.

HTTY

Yeah - I guess so. I wonder if her parents are aware of this plan, or of the hungarian bf?

If you're driving (and I as I assume you are since the trains here are nothing like the ones in Europe) I'd see DC, then head down 29 through Charlottesville and the Shenandoah Valley to NC. Beautiful drive, cool sites, friendly people and little mall-ishness.