I'm from Picardie. It's farm land, where potatoes, sugar beets, corn and wheat are grown. The particular district I live in the Somme District, is mainly famous for its battle in 1916 during WWI. Hence, we have lots of U.S., British, Australian, South-African, Canadian, New Zealand cemeteries throughout the countryside. When I lived in the midwest, the landscapes were not that exotic.
Besides having lots of cemeteries, and farm land that's more and more managed by big business rather than farmers, we have lots of unemployment in what used to be late 19th century industries, like textile.
My hometown features a famous cathedral, which brings bus loads of tourists roaming around, and strolling through the streets. My neighborhood has been largely remodeled to be super cute for the tourists. It is, and I still enjoy the view and scenery as I walk around.
Having lived in other places, I like it here mainly because I have lots of friends and relatives. It's not too expensive; I'm one hour and a half away from the center of Paris. It's reasonably big for cultural venues, and there is some beautiful countryside within walking distance.