Large Cities and the Elimination of the Middle Class

Metropolis ^ | February 14, 2011 | Joel Kotkin

[Tom Rounder]

America’s largest cities are increasingly divided into three classes: the affluent, the poor, and the nomadic class of young people who generally come to the city for a relatively brief period and then leave. New York, the aspirational city of my grandparents, now has the smallest share of middle-income families in the nation, according to a recent Brookings Institution study, with Los Angeles and San Francisco not far behind. In 1980 Manhattan, New York’s wealthiest borough, ranked 17th among U.S. counties for social inequality; by 2007 Bloomberg’s “luxury city” was first, with the top fifth earning 52 times the income of the lowest fifth, a disparity roughly comparable to that of Namibia.

[Pining_4_TX]

The decline of cities began with the introduction of government schools and compulsory attendance. Rather than have their children be forced to attend poorly performing and dangerous schools, the middle class left the cities. The poor could not escape, and the rich send their children to private schools.

One will always find government at the root of almost any problem.

[aruanan]

I cannot see at all what you are talking about about Chicago. Crime and corruption are home to Chicago.

Nevertheless, Chicago is far better now than it was at any time during the last 40 years. It's FAR better than it was just 16 years ago. You're forgetting what the original comment was that I was responding to.

[Tzimisce]

Marx came up with a system to get rid of the middle class.

Cities have implemented more Marxism than other places. The proof is in the pudding.