FULL ARTICLE by Elsa Court – The increase in the urban population combined with the stagnation of wages in the service industry have made it more likely for middle-class households resort to using budget motel rooms as semi-permanent accommodation.
By Douglas Towne – Las Vegas knows how to throw a party like no other. But no matter how cutting-edge Sin City soirees are today, there’s no competing with the fiery bashes the city held in the 1950s.
As part of our commitment to exploration of the scholarly history of the American roadside as it relates to issues of race, class and gender, we proudly present this Q&A with Alison Isenberg, author of Downtown America.
From the Q&A: Downtown America was once the vibrant urban center romanticized in the Petula Clark song — a place where the lights were brighter, where people went to spend their money and forget their worries. But in the second half of the twentieth century, “downtown” became a shadow of its former self, succumbing to economic competition and commercial decline. And the death of Main Streets across the country came to be seen as sadly inexorable, like the passing of an aged loved one.