Levittown was the first successful large-scale suburban housing development in the United States. Suburbs (see entry under 1950s—The Way We Lived in volume 3) existed to some extent in the 1800s, but they were mostly for rich people. When it opened in 1948 on Long Island outside New York City, Levit-town brought suburban living to ordinary middle- and working-class Americans.

A post–World War II boom in housing led to the rapid growth of suburbs like Levittown, New York, America's first mass-produced suburb. AP/Wide World Photos. Reproduced by permission.

When World War II (1939–45) ended, the U.S. economy was booming. The Great Depression (1929–41; see entry under 1930s—The Way We Lived in volume 2) was over, and people looked forward to plentiful jobs and good times. Millions of people, many just returned from the war, wanted to start a new life. Many were tired of living in cramped city...