I think what gets lost in this debate is the fact that in most major US cities you can have two cars, a yard with a lawn you can mow and a guest room without sacrificing walkability and public transportation.

I live in a working class neighborhood in a major coastal city and still have everything I listed above: I bike or ride the bus to work but a lot of my coworkers drive; I have front and backyards (with lawns!) but I can walk a few blocks to a commercial district with dozens of shops and restaurants. Not every city looks like Manhattan. Not even all of NYC looks like Manhattan.