Can I choose which cities or states (or countries) to search, instead of searching around a zip code?

Of course! To choose individual states or cities instead of searching by zip code, click the "Search by US state or region" link near the bottom-left of the homepage. Or to search other countries, click "Search worldwide".

Once you're in that mode, you can choose states or cities by clicking on them and pressing the add arrow, or by double-clicking their names. You can also choose preset groups of states or countries from a dropdown box.