philly, portland, chicago, atlanta, seattle?

philly, portland (OR), chicago, atlanta, seattle? what can you guys tell me about these cities, as far as urban living goes?

can you live there w/o a car? is the city bike-friendly?

what kind of cultural environment do each of these cities have? the arts, fashion, music?

what's the average price for a ~1000 sq. ft. loft/2-3 bedroom apartment/townhouse/small home?

or, outside of these cities, are there any other good livable cities in the u.s. you'd recommend?

basically, just trying to do some research!

SF is just too unaffordable for what it is, and a year has been more than enough here.

thanks a bunch, all!