Sometimes I think we will soon all be living in a condo world. The small merchants on the beach at Hampton Beach, N.H., say condos and developers are taking over the town and pushing aside the small stands and arcades that once lined the Boardwark. These merchants are little guys, they have only eight or nine weeks to make their money, and their rents are going through the roof. More and more are moving and selling out to condos, a tidal wave that is hitting beach communities everywhere as well as big cities like New York.

When the condos come, the developers push the little guys out. Scores of condos line the beach where there once were small cottages and food stands. Chance is an inevitable part of life, but it doesn’t always feel good.