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The Seattle post was interesting; I lived there only couple of months, but I completely fell in love the city; when I repatriated from Amsterdam, Seattle was a very close second to NYC. But I would have thought that, given how geographically spread out Seattle is, that there would be less not more attention paid to one's 'hood. From your post this seems to not be the case. So, one question then: how does West Seattle rank? Please tell me "low" so I can tease a friend of mine there without mercy...

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Actually, in the grand scheme of things, West Seattle is among the lowest of the low in hip factor. The spot where I live is the ABSOLUTE lowest of the low. The cool thing about being unhip is that I can afford an actual HOUSE for the same price you'd pay for a studio apt. on the wrong side of QA. In fact, I don't even live in Seattle proper, but in a pseudo-suburb. I list my location as Seattle because the name of my town elicits a visceral, prejudicial, ignorant reaction in Puget Sounders which I prefer to avoid.

..."excellent Smithers..."

getting back to the concept of building a vast city with clearly identifiable areas I think you should look at Ottawa. As a capital city it has a global awareness if not presence. It is also a really local city. Recently it got forced into this massive ammalgamation by an overarching obsolete branch of government and is trying to cope with that. It has recently come up with a 20 year plan to incorporate all the small towns and hamlets, as well as the various cities that have now all become one adminstrative zone. Ottawa has their "2020" plan online if you are looking at building something.
On a slightly different tack: I am wondering how relevant a person's physical location is going to be. Electronic contact is becoming far more mobile and less site specific. Howmany people need to know where you reside?

New York smells funny.

One thing to consider in all this talk of location though, is this:
how many people actually manage to live exactly where they really want?
We tend to have to make the best of what we can afford, which is not nearly the same thing. Serendipity means we might really enjoy where we end up, but just among the people I know if you said "live anywhere you want" practically all of them would be in a different street in a more expensive house in a different part of town. And so would I.

I've found that cities that were destroyed in the last 100 years or so have a leg up on lots of older cities. They had a chance to learn from their mistakes and rebuild. To adapt to the use of automobiles.

Chicago and San Francisco are great examples, but lots of european centers- the ones that were bombed flat, like Rotterdam or Bonn...

Not that there is anything wrong with Amsterdam or London.

Chicago isn't the same place it was 10 years ago. despite economic slump theres steady business of razing old areas to make way for new developments. And then there is the millenium park project of King Daley II over budget and way over due. but wow looks nifty.

I have an ex that lives in Chicago. I see her often, and every time I venture in I'm amazed at how my old stomping grounds have changed. On the other hand, I'm amazed at how things stay the same. Teenagers with blue hair have been hanging around the Dunkin' Donuts on Clark and Belmont for over 20 years (will someone please tell them Punk not only smells funny, but it's dead?). Rogers Park is still full of hippyish bohemians, but now with an influx of Eastern Europeans.

I miss the idea of the city. But I don't miss the reality. I'd rather move to a smaller city and live in the city, than live in the suburbs. San Francisco sounds nice. Or Providence. Or any place in Canada.

But that's just me.

If you're looking for a city of cities where people will still tell you they're from X, then

(the) Ctiy of God, Rio de Janerio would be your best bet. The research on the city itself is very interesting; additionally there's a movie just out by the same name.

Some things come to those that wait, for everyone else there's life.