Going, Going ... gone This is a small Connecticut town in 1850. Sitting at the junction between two rivers, life here will soon be transformed by big mills, with their waterwheels and (soon enough) steam engines. Within 15 years, the rapids just upstream will be providing waterpower to many mills. Soon enough, industrialism will overtake the entire region.

	Downtown Rail Service The largest American cities are building out extensive networks of 'street rail,' starting with trollies. But the worst encroachment comes with the elevated railways (right), which not only blot out the sun for pedestrians below, but also bring noise directly into windows of upper floor apartments. The attraction of these rail lines is their speed, as elevated trains don't need to dodge through street traffic. They serve the same function as subways, which will gradually replace them as a means of getting downtown.
	New Urban Recreation Few Americans are worried that the pace of life seems to have become slightly more frantic. Traffic problems are growing, and crowds are swarming the streets in the larger cities, but people are enjoying the benefits of a stylish new urban life. Nowhere is this more evident than in the stores. They're no longer limited to small storefronts selling mostly dry goods (lower left). Big department stores, like Gimbels in New York (top right), are bursting with attractive products, some imported from Paris and London.