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View Poll Results: What is "The City" to you?
San Francisco 62 27.19%
New York City 87 38.16%
Boston 7 3.07%
Chicago 30 13.16%
Los Angeles 3 1.32%
Washington DC 7 3.07%
Philadelphia 10 4.39%
San Diego 0 0%
Seattle 7 3.07%
Atlanta 15 6.58%
Voters: 228. You may not vote on this poll

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Old 07-05-2013, 02:13 PM
 
69 posts, read 83,734 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 18Montclair View Post
San Francisco was already called'The City' by people all over the west long before LA's population boom and LA becoming far larger really doesnt affect what Northern Californians call San Francisco, nor should it as these cities are far enough apart that neither overshadows the other.
People still don't get the point of the thread. I think, at this point, it's useless explaining that the term "The City" is not a value-laden term or a denigration of other cities.

They don't get that LA could have 1 billion people, and SF could have one, and it wouldn't make a difference in terms of historical connotations.
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Old 07-05-2013, 02:25 PM
 
Location: Where the heart is...
4,927 posts, read 5,313,214 times
Reputation: 10674
Quote:
Originally Posted by Irapuato100 View Post
No. You're not getting it.

Why would they have a poll asking if people speak common English?Obviously the poll is referring to The City as a proper term, not whether they're aware of a commonly used English term for urban center.
OBVIOUSLY? After all of these posts there is not a single thing OBVIOUS about the original query or any of the answers as there is absolutely no consensus whatsoever. The original question in BOLD BLACK typeface was:

What is "The City" to you?

Each of us "you" have responded with What is "The City" to US as individuals and I have to presume where WE LIVE, not as citizens of the U.S., not as residents of either the east coast, the mid atlantic, the west coast, the midwest, the south, the southwest, the north, or the northeast but rather as individuals and where WE LIVE!

Maybe my English and comprehension is not the level I thought it was, maybe the new member op was trolling...I honestly don't know. I think from now on I will just stick to the Food and Beverage forum.

That's all I have for you and slo!

Best regards, sincerely

HomeIsWhere...
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Old 07-05-2013, 02:26 PM
 
Location: Prince George's County, Maryland
6,208 posts, read 9,210,165 times
Reputation: 2581
Quote:
Originally Posted by Irapuato100 View Post
Totally disagree. I'm not from DC, and never heard the term until my hair stylist in Dupont Circle mentioned she's going clubbing in The City in an upcoming weekend.

I have never, ever, heard of DC referred to as The City, and lived in Bethesda for a number of years. It's DC or the District. Not once have I heard The City.

In contrast, I have heard NYC referred to as The City tons of times in and around the District.

And, as an aside, I don't know why you keep using "DMV" to refer to DC. No one uses that term either. They say DC. If you say the term "DMV" in the DC area people would think you're referring to the Department of Motor Vehicles.
You're a transplant straight up LOL

Especially that last part in bold...Apparently, you're not familiar with the LOCAL lingo around here in the DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia) either. Not really surprised though, you get your hair done in Dupont Circle Haha! Step out of your bubble and explore The City east of 14th Street like MDAllStar suggested. Where you'll find a much larger concentration of local District residents or other parts of the metro area outside of Bethesda of all places.
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Old 07-05-2013, 02:27 PM
 
Location: Los Altos Hills, CA
36,655 posts, read 67,506,468 times
Reputation: 21239
Quote:
Originally Posted by Irapuato100 View Post
People still don't get the point of the thread. I think, at this point, it's useless explaining that the term "The City" is not a value-laden term or a denigration of other cities.

They don't get that LA could have 1 billion people, and SF could have one, and it wouldn't make a difference in terms of historical connotations.
Yeah, like I said earlier, it wasnt some scheme hatched last week by the SF convention & visitors bureau to make SF look urban(lol), no, this goes back to the 1840s before CA even became a state, when gold was discovered in the Sierra Nevada and SF literally went from being a fishing village to 'The City' literally overnight.

Things such as luxury hotels, fine dining establishments, first class clothiers were ONLY found in SF for a long time and so it was such a paradox compared to literally everywhere else for a thousand miles in every direction that SF was seen as the pocket of urban civility( it had a very raunchy side too tho) hence it was only natural for SF to be known as.'The City' almost immediately, and the nickname has endured until now.
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Old 07-05-2013, 02:34 PM
 
Location: Prince George's County, Maryland
6,208 posts, read 9,210,165 times
Reputation: 2581
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Daring Kobald View Post
Are the New York boosters serious: do people in real life really think that people from around the country, from Seattle to Miami, from San Diego to Maine, really think of New York City as the only place when it comes to the term "the city"

Really? No, I'm pretty serious about this one.
+1 LOL Man, I don't even know...The stuff that some of them have been saying has been quite entertaining though even if it is on the narcissistic side on their part lmao Wish I could rep you though.
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Old 07-05-2013, 02:38 PM
 
Location: Prince George's County, Maryland
6,208 posts, read 9,210,165 times
Reputation: 2581
Quote:
Originally Posted by HomeIsWhere... View Post
OBVIOUSLY? After all of these posts there is not a single thing OBVIOUS about the original query or any of the answers as there is absolutely no consensus whatsoever. The original question in BOLD BLACK typeface was:

What is "The City" to you?

Each of us "you" have responded with What is "The City" to US as individuals and I have to presume where WE LIVE, not as citizens of the U.S., not as residents of either the east coast, the mid atlantic, the west coast, the midwest, the south, the southwest, the north, or the northeast but rather as individuals and where WE LIVE!

Maybe my English and comprehension is not the level I thought it was, maybe the new member op was trolling...I honestly don't know. I think from now on I will just stick to the Food and Beverage forum.

That's all I have for you and slo!

Best regards, sincerely

HomeIsWhere...
+2 This is post needs to be nominated for making the best sense
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Old 07-05-2013, 02:42 PM
 
1,073 posts, read 2,194,490 times
Reputation: 751
I grew up hearing NYC as the city by the media.

Locally, in the small town I was raised in, we'd call Fremont as the town. And even though omaha was the city, we still called it Omaha.

So, I voted NYC
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Old 07-05-2013, 04:20 PM
 
Location: Brooklyn, NYC
1,405 posts, read 2,449,914 times
Reputation: 887
Quote:
Originally Posted by projectmaximus View Post
I'm not sure I'm getting your point. Are you trying to distinguish between the name "New York" and "New York City," suggesting that the latter wasn't coined until consolidation in 1898? If so, your link doesn't show that. It refers to "Greater New York City" after consolidation. I do not claim any expertise in this area, but I tried to find proof of what you said and I can't. And logically it seems very unlikely that there would be no way to distinguish the city from its county and state, either officially or unofficially. I think logic would suggest that at the very least "The City of New York" was written into charter somewhere.
No my link specifically validates "Manhattan" before the consolidation was "The City of New York" and NOT New York City. I was responding to your first post when you say this, which is false. . . .


Quote:
Originally Posted by projectmaximus View Post
Manhattan may have gotten this name because "New York City" used to be just Manhattan prior to consolidation. History of New York City - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
There was no such thing as New York City until AFTER the consolidation. However Manhattan was "The City of New York". That may seem like the same thing but it wasn't because Brooklyn was it's own entity. It had it's own mayors and was a twin city to "New York"/Manhattan.

Then you said in your previous post "It refers to Greater New York City. . ." No it doesn't because that term didn't really exist. It was the city of "Greater New York" because before the consolidation "New York" was just Manhattan (that's why Manhattans county name is still New York County). That was another reason why I asked for older maps if you could find any. You'll see all maps prior to consolidation refer to Manhattan as the City of New York or New Amsterdam for Lower Manhattan, lol!


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...e_Map_1865.jpg

My only point is "New York City" has always been the 5 boroughs together, that were formed in 1898. Before then they were separate villages/towns and cities (Manhattan and Brooklyn).

Here are some quotes for reference. . .

Quote:
The City of Greater New York was the unofficial term for the expanded City of New York created on January 1, 1898 by consolidating the existing City of New York with the eastern Bronx, Brooklyn, most of Queens County, and Staten Island.[1][2]
Quote:
The center of the plan was the consolidation of the twin cities of New York and Brooklyn, whose fire departments had been merged into a Metropolitan Fire District in 1865.[6]
City of Greater New York - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Old 07-05-2013, 04:48 PM
 
Location: Taipei
7,777 posts, read 10,158,094 times
Reputation: 4989
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike1306 View Post
I am still missing it, I looked under your first link and saw this

New York City
The Big Apple.[15][41]
The Capital of The World.[42]
The City[citation needed]
The City of Dreams[citation needed]
The City So Nice, They Named It Twice.[43]
The City That Never Sleeps.[44]
Empire City.[15][45]
Gotham [15][16]
Hymie Town.[46]
Ah, you were looking at New York City. You gotta look at Manhattan specifically.

Quote:
Originally Posted by StuddedLeather View Post
No my link specifically validates "Manhattan" before the consolidation was "The City of New York" and NOT New York City.
Quote:
Originally Posted by StuddedLeather View Post
My only point is "New York City" has always been the 5 boroughs together, that were formed in 1898. Before then they were separate villages/towns and cities (Manhattan and Brooklyn).
Cool man, I think the confusion came from your last post then. Did not know that was all you were trying to say. If this is your only point then great.
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Old 07-05-2013, 07:51 PM
 
10,920 posts, read 6,908,243 times
Reputation: 4942
Quote:
Originally Posted by soug View Post
I grew up in South Jersey so Philly will always be "the city" to me. That said, Manhattan - specifically Manhattan, not any of the outer boroughs - is widely called "the city" by many people. I die slowly inside every time one of my buddies who used to live in Philly/SJ/SEPA moves to North Jersey/Long Island/NYC and starts to call Manhattan the city.



22 Maps That Show The Deepest Linguistic Conflicts In America - Business Insider
I'm sorry but growing up in Ohio I never heard anyone call NYC by "The City". If you told someone in Ohio you were from "The City", they would say "ok...so, what city?". I think this map might be affected by some bias, and I find it really difficult to believe/accept.

Put another way, if you took a survey and the question was "What is 'The City'"? and one of the options was "NYC", people would probably pick "NYC" by default because it's the largest and most well-known city in the country. But to suggest that this maps shows that people in that large of a region in real life use and understand what "The City" means AND that the phrase specifically refers to NYC is pretty misleading.

I would say "The City" and people knowing it refers to NYC starts in upstate NY. When I lived in Rochester, we all knew "The City" meant going to NYC. However, people would also say occasionally "I'm going into the City tonight" to mean they were just going downtown, probably to go out drinking/to eat. This was also the case in Buffalo. So, even there, you still have to properly frame the phrase in a context that makes sense.

However, I never heard anyone refer to NYC as "The City" in Cleveland, Toledo, or Columbus (all places I've lived/spent a lot of time in). If someone was going to NYC, they were say "I'm going to New York" or "New York City"...often times they'll leave out the "City" part and just say "New York"...which was always an annoying part of living in Rochester. You could never just say "I live in New York" because people would assume you were from NYC, even though it was 6-7 hours away from there...always had to specify "upstate" or "western" NY...which would get old.

Living in the SF area now, I see and hear "The City" used to refer to SF, and I don't find it pretentious at all. I actually think it's a really interesting from a historical point of view because for so long SF was the only real city in the west. It had (and still has) a really large regional prominence for many people/places, and still is the most urban-built city in the west (feeling the most like NYC, the other "The City"). So, it makes sense that people still use it to this day.

SF and NYC are the only places I've seen referred to as "The City" in the formal sense. People might say "I'm going to the city" to mean their respective cities, but you'll never see it written as "The City" (capitalized) outside of SF or NYC. But, that being the case, each of them are still only regional references. I doubt anyone in Kansas would think "The City" refers to either SF or NYC.
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