ABSTRACT
American suburbia is a varied expanse of habitation, a richly contrasting mosaic that corresponds to the diversity of contemporary American life. By 2004 eight of the suburbs in Pittsburgh's Allegheny County were officially designated by the state of Pennsylvania as fiscally distressed and thus requiring special aid. New York has been the chief port of entry for immigrants from India, but as soon as possible they have opted for homes in the suburbs. Indians constitute the largest Asian group in suburban Long Island, where they jam the Nassau County Coliseum to see personal appearances by the most popular movie stars from India. Indicative of the diversity of contemporary American suburbia are the many communities tailored to the needs and preferences of specific lifestyles. The heterogeneous mass of suburban America includes havens catering to homosexuals, refuges for the elderly, and semirural oases for those seeking the country life.
