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Tom's Trolleybus Pix Trackless Trolleys and Trolleybuses Downtown Greensboro Memories Philadelphia Trolley Tracks	-----	In The City In the 1940s, the city was a world of department stores, crowded sidewalks, fancy hotels and fire escapes. It was the hustle and bustle of subways and streetcars, the glamour of theaters and nightclubs. In the 20th century, our predominantly rural lifestyle was shifting to an urban one, and in the 1940s we had passed the halfway point. 55 percent of us lived in cities and medium-sized towns in 1940. In most cities, a building of 20 stories qualified as a skyscraper. New York City had the world's tallest....the Chrysler Building with 77 stories, and the Empire State Building with 102 stories. Many people didn't have a car, so public transportation was very important. To get around town, they rode buses, streetcars that were powered by an overhead cable or electrified track, and trackless trolleys. Philadelphia introduced the first trackless trolleys in 1923, which were powered by an overhead cable but didn't require any tracks. Also called trolleybuses, they were used mostly during the 1940s and 1950s. Click here for more sights from the city!

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The Suburbs A suburb is any community or small town connected to a city. It can be as close as the city limits or as far away as an hour train commute. Suburbs are divided into categories based on the method of transportation that connects them to the city. older suburbs In the late 1800s, railroad and streetcar suburbs grew up along the rail and trolley lines that radiated out from the city center. They reached their peak in the 1920s. Early automobile suburbs arose between 1905 and 1945. Unlike older suburbs, these communities were located in areas without rail access. They were built with the automobile in mind, and were settled by relatively affluent car owners who didn't need to live near the rail lines. They featured paved streets, landscaping and sunny open areas. Commuting to the city was done on two-lane highways. On Long Island, Levittown was the first major suburb of the postwar era. This subdivision was built by the firm of Levitt & Sons, and the first homes were completed in 1947. In 1949, a two-bedroom house sold for $7,900. The subdivision featured ball fields, swimming pools, streets uncluttered by utility poles, and no fences. The homes were built quickly and efficiently, sometimes at the rate of 30 per day. Unfortunately, the subdivision had covenants preventing blacks and Jews from buying homes there, which was a standard practice at the time. Levittown was immensely popular. Between 1945 and 1951, the population of the suburbs doubled. Much of this growth took place in the new postwar freeway suburbs.	-----	after the war: the freeway suburb After the war, things began to change dramatically. Servicemen returning from overseas were getting married and settling down in record numbers. This created a housing shortage. The cities were full, so developers began to build new homes in the country. On the outskirts of town, they replaced farm fields with cul-de-sacs, sidewalks, small yards and rows of identical tract houses. When the new interstate highways linked these housing developments to the city, we had the newest type of suburb: the freeway suburb. It didn't matter if these subdivisions were miles away from the downtown area....they would become self-contained communities with stores and schools of their own. The booming postwar economy made it possible for most people to own a car, so transportation wasn't a problem. Levittown: An Ideal American Suburb

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Businesses & Places To Go	-----	The fair meant different things to different people. For the farmer, it was a chance to see the latest innovations in tractors, incubators and seed varieties. For his wife, it was a chance to enter her pickles, preserves or pies in a contest and maybe win a prize. For kids, it was cotton candy, ice cream, soda pop and rides! For teenagers, it meant entering your calf in the 4-H show. And for young people, it was a chance to be romantic with your sweetheart, or maybe meet someone new. For everyone, it meant entertainment and a chance to try new things. Shows, contests, races, hot air balloon rides, sideshow curiosities, games....you name it, they had it! And speaking of trying new things....customers at the 1942 Texas State Fair were treated to the first corn dogs, which were invented especially for the fair.

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Small Towns The pace of small town life in the 1940s was relaxed. Shopping centers weren't common yet, which meant that most stores and businesses were still located on Main Street. Typical communities had parks surrounded by town squares, parking meters, churches, barbershops, dry-cleaners and drugstores. Friendly telephone operators connected your calls, and everyone knew everyone else. Time for some male bonding down at the barbershop!	-----	Most towns had some sort of streetcar service, resulting in streets criss-crossed by streetcar tracks

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other pages in this section:
Nightlife---------- Travel


Shopping & Dining

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