From the introduction: A smaller city at the end of the New York City commuter train line, New Haven exists at the far edge of the enormous shadow cast by the capital of the world. To some, it’s a sleepy old college town, the home of Yale University with all its libraries, research facilities, and colonial charm. To others it’s a hectic mess of asphalt, failed “urban renewal”, and too many people. To the kids of the city, it’s all that and more.