What's the name of entire metro area? (Dallas, Fort Worth: real estate, to live)

[FarNorthDallas]

To me North Texas is too vague and could possibly mean the panhandle area if a person didn't know that area was called the panhandle. It is more north than our area afterall.

When I hear North Texas (as a native) I think they are trying to include Sherman, Dension, Wichita Falls, Paris - a much bigger area than just DFW and its commutable suburbs.

[aceplace]

Originally Posted by FarNorthDallas

To me North Texas is too vague and could possibly mean the panhandle area if a person didn't know that area was called the panhandle. It is more north than our area afterall.

That is a very good point, and it roundly contradicts my earlier assertion that the term "North Texas" represents the metro.

The gist of the question is on how to identify the metro to outsiders, in North America and the rest of the world. Most of the world's population would not make a distinction between what we call "the Panhandle" and what is visibly the northern portion of Texas.

So, I recant my earlier opinion. Whatever we call the metro, "North Texas" is not an appropriate term.

Instead, why don't we just call it "Dallas". Most of the world has heard of Dallas, at least in terms of the TV show, and they aren't interested in the local distinctions we make between Dallas city and Highland Park and Plano. Or the distinction we make between Dallas city and Fort Worth city. Every other metro in America is known by the name of its most populous municipal government, and the second-largest or third-largest municipalities don't take offense, or feel slighted. In fact, Plano or Irving or Mesquite don't feel slighted by being lumped into the Greater Dallas identity, so why should any other community or municipality have a chip on its shoulder about it? And if they do, they should get over it.

[aceplace]

Maybe it would clarify the question if we consider how people identify their home when out of town.

If you have a casual chat with a stranger in an airport, you might make some small talk by asking... "where are you from?"

Most people would keep the answer general, and avoid confusing the listener, by answering with the name of the metro area, an answer like "Bostonr", or "Atlanta", or "San Francisco". In actuality, they may live in a small suburb of these places, but they don't want to be obscure or confusing by mentioning it's name. They don't say, "I'm from Burlingame (or Rockville or Tweedledee), because that's not a good answer. The listener has most likely never heard of the place. The point of small talk is to not confuse somebody, but keep the conversation going by keeping the listener's interest.

I believe D Magazine did a survey some years ago where they asked area people how they answered that question when they were out of town. The vast majority claimed to be from "Dallas", even if they lived in some Tarrant county suburb like Grapevine, Southlake, Pantego, etc. Nobody wanted to get into a long-winded explanation of "where in Hades is Pantego, I've never heard of it?"

[ctrres]

Yeah but s/he's naming a business/distro center with the intention of employing a metro location-specific device in the name. If it ends up in Ft. Worth, "D/FW..." or "Texas..." is fine.But if it were to be called "Dallas...", its Ft. Worth neighbors would be going "What?" [Pardon the lack of paragraphs. They're not separating out after Save to the board.]

[CMDallas]

How does metroplex sound 80s?
I actually like the name and I'm a hip young person :P

anyways... not like you don't know already but:
DFW
Dallas Fort Worth
The Metroplex
North Texas
Dallas area
Dallas
I guess Fort Worth is not really used, but technically can be referred to like Dallas.

[aceplace]

Many people claim to be from London, England, when they are really not.

The City of London is a legal entity that contains a few thousand residents, but is actually the financial district for the Greater London area. The rest of the urban conurbation is divided into boroughs, actlally legally independent municipalities, with separate and independent councils, budgets, ordinances, etc. London boroughs such as Merton, Enfield, and others are comparable to Dallas area municipalities such as Garland, Irving, Highland Park, etc.

And yet, nobody has a problem with claiming to live in London. People generally don't get upset about being identified as a Londoner, as opposed to a resident of Merton or Enfield. There is no local equivalent of Fort Worth city in Greater London, a place where the people resent being characterized by a larger municipality.

[ricwil]

Ah, I see, good point, FarNorthDallas, North Texas could get confusing to an outsider. Call it Dallas area. Most people know Dallas.

[Lakewooder]

Originally Posted by ajhno

Hi, I am looking to opening a satellite branch of a business and want to know how to address the entire DFW area by name. For example, if I sell widgets, would "Dallas Widgets" be deemed as incomplete since the entire area is Dallas-Ft. Worth? Don't people in Ft. Worth hate Dallas? Would they feel left out?

Which of these are used (and don't sound odd to those who live there) and which are just terms outsiders use:
Dallas
Dallas-Ft. Worth
DFW
Metroplex
North Texas

Any others? I want to start registering web addresses, etc., but don't want to do something that will make me sound like I'm clueless (even if I am ).

Thanks!

Dallas - enough said.

[$DFW8$]

I just say DFW, but I do hear some people say Metroplex.

[Metro Matt]

Originally Posted by Lakewooder

Dallas - enough said.

Puhleeease...

Not including Fort Worth in the name when referring to the whole metropolitan area is just stupid.

Fort Worth & its suburbs could easily survive on their own without Dallas, its a separate major US city with its own identity & economy. Over 2 million of the 6 million people Dallas likes to claim are in Fort Worth's municipality so in reality the Dallas metro area has about 4 million people with all of its surrounding towns, a little over 1 million of those are in the actual city limits of Dallas.