Oh, interesting! It's good to know that there are places like that here. This is really the biggest thing that I think a lot of Americans miss out on. I really get that sense of being part of something when I travel around to other places.
Of course I know that I've chosen to live in probably one of the loneliest, yet crowded places in the world, though. So anywhere probably feels more community based than LA.
I am hoping to get out of the country at some point and experience some of what you are mentioning. At this point the only other country I have visited is Canada.