BY JOHN FEEHERY
In Ancient Rome, it was the poor people who lived in the suburbs. The rich lived in the city center, close to work, close to entertainment, close to all the finest restaurants (or the Roman version of restaurant).
But in post-World War II America, that all started to change. Public transportation became more readily available, and bedroom communities rose up, first outside of New York City, and then swept the nation.
The riots of the 1960’s convinced many ethnics and the few remaining Protestants who lived in the big cities, that the American dream was better found in the suburbs, and a great wealth transfer from the cities to the suburbs began in earnest.