Urban life in America is not treatable as one monolithic subject because of the widely varying nature of the segments of urban living. There are areas that are America’s finest (or most embarrassing) example of middle class living. There are areas that are so wealthy that we cannot comprehend life in those homes and neighborhoods. Then there are the “West Side” stories, of immigrants, migrants and gangs, assimilation and failure to assimilate. There are tales of filth, poverty, underground societies and roving homeless who have not lived at a legitimate street address for years. There are tales of corruption, crime, and organized crime that reach from the mansions and high rent districts to those lovely middle class examples of the American dream, and deep into the underbelly that thrills us so much in film and theater.

The fact is that urban life squeezes everyone, whether they are American or not, plus everything that either is, is not, or is about to be American into the smallest space possible.  An urban dweller can travel the world in the course of a year, yet never travel more than ten miles from their home during the rest of that same year. An urban dweller can live their entire life within a fifty block radius, never leaving the citiy limits. Urban dwellers can come from any place in the world and wind up living virtually underneath the world in old tunnels and underground societies.

One of the most relevant facts about urban life is the compaction of everything that is required into a small area. From work to play; from education to worship, from food to medical care, to justice, to clothing; there are provisions for all of a humans needs, from birth to disposition after death, in the urban infrastructure.

Another of the most relevant facts about urban life is that the opportunity to achieve or enjoy excellence in all activities that can be done without large acerage or farming facilities. A person can scale or witness or observe the heights of the arts, education, science,  medicine, law, and society without leaving the city limits, as any urban center is defined by it’s service as the regional hub for these entities or for the museums that hold artifacts of excellence and historical importance. A person can also find the connections to travel anywhere in the world as the urban center is also defined as a transportation hub.  Witnessing some of the most important legal, social, artistic and other innovations and movements is far more likely in the major urban centers.

As a result, life in urban America will never be defined by the movies, by the media, or even by the residents. There is too much life to be described by any one product of any one segment of life there, no matter how expert and educated. Finally, there is too much “there” to ever be completely observed and experienced and discussed in one forum, book, or lifetime.