More Cities That Never Sleep Night Life

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Not long ago, in cities across America, downtown districts darkened at the close of business hours, and workers filed from office highrises back to their lives in the burbs. Like empty commuter-rail cars at day's end, city streets stood hollow and dim.

But a transformation of urban life is quickening nationwide: Downtown lights now twinkle into the wee hours, and the buzz of nightlife spills from restaurants and theaters in cities from Denver to Miami.

The return of life after dark symbolizes a reinvention of American cities in the twilight of the 20th century. For decades, downtowns have been centers of commerce and, more recently, places where young adults and …