Highways, the GI bill, cheap gas, and inner-city racial tensions contributed to that sociological storm that made “white flight” the rhymey-rage 50 years ago.  At least that’s what the history books tell me. According to those hard-backed tomes, a predominant number of Caucasians packed up their families and headed from the inner cities out into the promised tranquility of the suburbs, where car and manicured lawn were king.

Life was deafeningly tranquil, interspersed with moments of maddening gridlock.  What more could middle-class America possibly want?  Something completely different apparently.

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