Well bluekatt,
I can highly recommend the Boston area. Having lived all over the eastern US, and having traveled all over the US/Canada/Mexico/Caribbean, I can tell you that the Boston area and New England itself is one of the most historic, culturally diverse, unique, and beautiful areas in the United States. From my little home in southern New Hampshire, I can be in Boston, the White Mountains, Vermont, Connecticut, New York, Maine, Rhode Island, the Atlantic Ocean, etc. all in an hour or less.
Boston has a lot to offer (like NY and LA) but is much smaller and easier to visit:
NFL - Patriots
MLB - Red Sox (Fenway Park)
NBA - Celtics
NHL - Bruins
Boston Marathon
North End - Italian
Walden Pond
Faneuil Hall/Quincy Market
U.S.S. Constitution
Bunker Hill
Boston Common
Boston Tea Party
Plymouth Rock
Beacon Hill
Lexington Green
Paul Revere House
Halloween in Salem, MA
Gloucester, MA (The Perfect Storm)
M.I.T.
Harvard University
Boston University
Berklee College of Music
Boston College
Boston Symphony Orchestra
Boston Pops
It goes on and on.