Things that make a city fail
If your city has anything on this list, and especially more than one thing, it fails.
If there is no subway, it fails.
If there is only a subway that takes you across the downtown area, it fails.
If your subway closes before midnight, it fails. (Note: if your bars are cheap enough that staying there until 5 am will not break the bank, this is acceptable.)
If your subway does not take you most places you might want to go, it fails.
If the most common way to get from point A to point B is a drive on the highway, it fails.
If your city has less than several million people, it fails.
If the bars close before 3 am, it fails.
If liquor is not served on sundays, it fails.
If an independent movie is released, but it is not likely to reach your city within a week or two, it fails.
If you can smoke in the bars, it fails.
So, far as I know, this knocks off LA, Philly, Boston, and many other places. I think Chicago is still alive. The Bay Area, if you combine it into one thing, lives too, but then highways are involved.
Internationally, you have a few more choices.