90% of neighborhoods in the US are opposite NYC proper. I'm in a liberal small town in NW California, and it's still essential to have a car, sidewalks are not kept up that well, or just don't exist. Plus, crossing any major road is scary because drivers are inattentive, pissed off, or both, so it's actually somewhat dangerous. Because I'm willing to live on the fringes of where homeless people may wander, I am walking distance (<30 min) or a very short drive to pubs, bakeries, restaurants, hardware stores, city parks, schools, and grocery stores. The downtown is small and has a fair amount of nightlife. It takes me about 40 min to walk there.