right side of the tracks

Idioms  

1. The desirable part of town, as in They were relieved to learn that his fiancée came from the right side of the tracks. This expression alludes to the fact that when a railroad ran through a town, it often divided the prosperous neighborhoods from the poor ones. The latter district was called the wrong side of the tracks, as in The children from the wrong side of the tracks often came to school without having eaten breakfast. Today these terms are considered snobbish. [Second half of 1800s]

---

Example Sentences

But he finds himself increasingly drawn to a wild but sensitive young rich girl from the right side of the tracks.

From New York Times • May 1, 2012

When Faleiro was researching the book she lived in the "Manhattan of Bombay" – the southern part of the city – definitely the right side of the tracks.

From The Guardian • Jul. 29, 2011

It was a sharp rebuke from the right side of the tracks.

From Time Magazine Archive

Said Jackson: "We all know the Bill Bradley story -- how the young white man from the right side of the tracks dreamed of one day becoming a professional basketball player."

From Time Magazine Archive

One law school acquaintance calls him "a left leaner from the right side of the tracks."

From Time Magazine Archive