Don't forget one of the most famous and visited destinations in the country is a walkable neighborhood served by great public transportation and uses a rat as a mascot.

You looked at that transportation recently? It is collapsing due to legacy, graft, and cost overruns. I don't presume you are European but I HATE when they use this system as an example or public transit that works in America. Its a dump. The worst trains in France and Germany run miles around it.