Whether you grew up there or just read about it in books or seen it in the movies, Suburbia is a most definite and unique place.  With these books, movies and CDs you can visit without ever having to take the Long Island Railroad!  So if you did grow up there—maybe it’s time to go home again. And if you didn’t—scroll through this list and see what you missed!

Movies

from Edward Scissorhands

• Edward Scissorhands Satirical, but loving, view of the 'burbs—a fairy tale too!
• American Beauty Angst, recriminations, desire, murder—suburbia!
• Nightmare on Elm Street Sometimes the horror is very, very real.
• Far From Heaven '50s suburbia retold—with no reading between the lines.
• Judy Berlin Starring Edie Falco and filmed on Long Island. The director has a new movie about suburbia out right now—take a look.
• Strangers When We Meet Kim Novak and Kirk Douglas, bored in suburbia, find each other.
• And finally! some comedy: Fast Times at Ridgemont High '80s teens look for love, fun and meaning in the 'burbs—great early Sean Penn performance.

Long Island, NY parking lot at twilight. 2011.

Books

• The Stories of John Cheever by John Cheever. The master of ennui, backyards and yearning.
• Appointment in Samarra by John O’Hara. Early suburbia - life in a 1930s commuter community.
• The Rabbit Series by John Updike. Updike once said his style was to give "the mundane its beautiful due."
• American Pastoral by Philip Roth. How the '50s became the turbulent '60s through one family's story.
• Flesh and Blood by Michael Cunningham. A family saga as only the great Cunningham can articulate it.

Non-Fiction

• American Dreamscape and Suburban Nation lay out how it all happened and what went wrong—and right!
• The photographer Gregory Crewdson displays vivid, surreal, poignant images of small town and suburban life.photograph by Gregory Crewdson

Books into Movies

• The Stepford Wives and the movie: Funny, yes, but ultimately a harrowing evocation of the quest for exterior perfection.
• The Ice Storm and the movie: Fave moment: Remember when you had to commit to a TV channel—because changing it meant getting up and turning the dial?
• Little Children and the movie: Affairs of the heart, obsession and childcare: all suburban issues.
• Revolutionary Road and the movie: The apotheosis of the suburban novel—intense. (More on that in Robert's post.)

Katharine Ross in The Stepford Wives. Love the 70s wallpaper!

Music

• Justin Bieber Since Ricky Nelson and David Cassidy, teen idols have been blasting from suburban bedrooms.
• American Idiot Green Day's broadway show about the kids in the 'burbs.
• Pet Shop Boys Well, they have a song called Suburbia!
• Hair Metal: RATT, Motley Crue and Def Leppard. Air guitar in the bedroom while tossing your hair from side to side—rock out suburbia!