Many newcomers are surprised: they live in a quiet area with only homes, and the nearest grocery store is a 10 minute drive. This is not an accident.
Most US cities use zoning: rules that say what can be built where. Large areas are residential (only homes), others are commercial (shops, offices) or industrial (factories, warehouses). In many places, a corner shop on a residential street is not allowed. So homes and shops are separated, often by big roads.
The places you will hear about
Downtown: the center of the city, with office towers, government buildings and often more transit. In some cities downtown is busy at night; in others it is quiet after 6 p.m.
Suburbs: areas outside the city center, mostly houses and apartment complexes. Separate cities often have their own police, schools and taxes.
Strip mall: a single row of shops facing a large parking lot, along a main road. Typical shops: nail salon, restaurant, phone store, dry cleaner, laundromat.
Shopping center or plaza: a bigger group of stores around a parking lot, often with a supermarket or big store like Target.
Mall: a large indoor building full of stores.
Business park or office park: a group of office buildings with parking, often near a highway. Many jobs are here.
Big-box stores: very large single stores such as Walmart, Home Depot and Costco, usually with huge parking lots.
Why many places need a car
Distances are large. A normal errand may be 5 to 10 miles (8 to 16 km).
Buses in many suburbs come every 30 to 60 minutes, or do not run in the evening or on Sundays.
Sidewalks may stop suddenly, and some roads are not safe to walk on.
It is possible in some places, mostly in big older cities and near their train lines, and in college towns.
Before you rent, open a map app and check the transit directions from the home to your work or school at the times you will travel.
Look for a grocery store, pharmacy and bus stop within a 10 to 15 minute walk.
Check Walk Score or similar scores on listing sites.
Plan for deliveries (groceries, Amazon) and rideshare for some trips.
Choosing a cheap home far from work, then spending more on rides and time than you saved.
Assuming a suburb has buses on weekends. Check the transit agency's schedule.
Walking along a highway or busy road without a sidewalk, especially at night.