Suburbs vary a lot and in the bay area I find it especially noticeable. Yes, the peninsula is suburban but a lot of it was built up in the 1950s-70s and it shows in the density and land use patterns. It's not the same as a city center, but you can get around on foot or a bike and there is some semblance of a night life and strip malls are not the only type of commercial building. Cf. suburban Chicago or Boston. On the other hand a lot of the newer suburbs in the East Bay are as bland and sprawl-y as anything you'd find in other fast-growing US areas like Phoenix or Tampa or Orange County.