America`s big cities

A night bus and I arrived in Vancouver (British Columbia, Canada) where I had an hostel in the worst neighborhood of the city. I cannot say Vancouver isn`t nice, it`s settled between mountains and sea and offers some good views, but it`s too big for my choice. Same for Seattle (Washington State, Usa): it`s the mother of grunge music, Bill Gates` and Boeing`s home. Beside that, cities here are completely different to the European ones; I`m astonished by the absence of a"real" city center, and they look like the asphalt jungles in my nightmares... I`m also surprised by the endless nymber oh homeless people living the alleys, while I feel myself breathless being surrounded by all those huge skyscrapers and buildings. What can I do, maybe I`m just a simple country boy... Actually I`m writing from Portland (Oregon, Usa).