What was life like in the suburbs in the 1950s?

Families had delayed having children because of poverty and wartime circumstances, so the US underwent a baby boom during the improved conditions of the 1950s. The suburbs became an increasingly popular location to live, and affordable housing caused a great increase in the population there.

What was Chicago like in the 50s?

Between 1950 and 1960 Chicago’s population shrank for the first time in its history, as factory jobs leveled off and people moved to the suburbs. Poor neighborhoods were razed and replaced with massive public housing that solved few of the problems of poverty and violence.

Why did people want to live in the suburbs in the 1950s?

During the 1950s and early 1960s many Americans retreated to the suburbs to enjoy the new consumer economy and search for some normalcy and security after the instability of depression and war. But many could not. It was both the limits and opportunities of housing that shaped the contours of postwar American society.

What was the first suburb in Chicago?

Let’s not forget his lesser known partner, too. His name was Calvert Vaux. Riverside, Illinois was the first planned suburb, and the Chicago suburbs of the mid-19th century weren’t exactly suburbs yet but towns near the downtown. Today planned communities are churned out left and right.

What are suburbs 1950?

1950s Suburbia describes the culture of the American middle class in the 1950s. Due to a population boom following World War Two, new neighborhoods were built in the areas surrounding large cities. These communities were known as suburbs, thus the term suburbia.

What were suburbs called in the 1950s?

These houses were perfect for young families–they had informal “family rooms,” open floor plans and backyards–and so suburban developments earned nicknames like “Fertility Valley” and “The Rabbit Hutch.” However, they were often not so perfect for the women who lived in them.

What was life like in the 1950s?

The 1950s were boomer years. The economy boomed, and everywhere individuals were feeling the need for family and security after arduous years of the war. So, in 1950s family life, there was also a marriage boom, birth rate boom, and housing boom.

When did Chicago get bad?

Great Chicago Fire, also called Chicago fire of 1871, conflagration that began on October 8, 1871, and burned until early October 10, devastating an expansive swath of the city of Chicago. Chicago’s growth in the mid-19th century was unprecedented.

When did the suburbs become a thing?

By the mid-19th century, the first major suburban areas were springing up around London as the city (then the largest in the world) became more overcrowded and unsanitary. A major catalyst for suburban growth was the opening of the Metropolitan Railway in the 1860s.

What is the oldest town in Chicago?

The Near North Side is the oldest part of Chicago.

Who moved to the suburbs in the 1950s?

In the 1950s, as new suburbs prospered and spread across postwar America, cities suffered. Rising car and truck ownership made it easier for businesses and middle- and working-class white residents to flee to the suburbs, leaving behind growing poor and minority populations and fiscal crises.

What were TVs like in the 1950s?

Many critics have dubbed the 1950s as the Golden Age of Television. TV sets were expensive and so the audience was generally affluent. Television programmers knew this and they knew that serious dramas on Broadway were attracting this audience segment.

What was the 1950s era in Chicago known for?

Chicago 1950s overview. But the most creative period for the city was the 1950s, when rivals Chess and Vee Jay battled for supremacy in the rhythm-and-blues market. The few blues artists who chose other labels later looked back in regret—when it came to getting records played on the radio, Chess and Vee Jay had no peers in Chicago.

What was it like to live in Chicago in the 60s?

I lived in Chicago in the 60’s and actually left there for good, as it turns out, in 1970. I have been back as I have a son who lived and studied there and it is indeed a different place in some respects. Under the first Mayor Daley, it was a very racially polarized place.

What’s the best neighborhood to move to in this part of Chicago?

If northwest is your peg and you want to know what’s the best neighborhood to move to in this part of Chicago, these suburbs are worth checking out. Having the zip code 60004, 60005, and 60006, people adore Arlington Heights for having a good combination of small-town feel and big-city perks.

What are the northern suburbs of Chicago?

Chapter 1 of Chicago Suburbs: Northern Suburbs 1 Lake Forest. This 160-year old suburb is located along the coast of Lake Michigan, with easy access to beautiful beaches and downtown Chicago for fun nights and shopping sprees. 2 Wilmette. 3 Highland Park. 4 Winnetka. 5 Evanston. 6 Glenview. 7 Kenilworth. 8 Lake Bluff.