Why are people calling BK,BX,Queens the outer boroughs (New York: living, design)

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Originally Posted by jcoltrane

Stop what, Transplant?

They've been known as the O-U-T-E-R boroughs for decades! Manhattan was first and is central, all the other broughs surrond Manhattan and focus upon it.

First I am a native...so you stop transplant. And I have never heard anyone say I live in the outer boro...

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Originally Posted by babo111

They are the outer boroughs and you forgot State Island.

No offense, Moderator cut: Inappropriate language staten Island...lol joke. they never mattered anyways.

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To get things straight. I am from NYC. Now I am in NC, but am moving back and since being on citydata. I have been seeing 'outer boro'. I am just saying. NO ONE i know uses that term. SORRY. I know my history, and we all know Manhattan is the mecca. But I just never heard it used. And I know people from all over.

[K.O.N.Y]

The guy has a point i never heard natives use that term before. Outer borough?- out of what exactly? lol

And i dont know about the other three but the Bronx was always a part of new york, even before 1898

[bmwguydc]

I'm a native, from Manhattan, and the term is used by natives, but not in the way people are thinking. When referring to an individual borough, the name is used, but collectively referring to the remaining four boroughs as the "outer boroughs" is a means of shortening the naming of each borough. Manhattan is itself, a borough, so it's inappropriate to refer to "the boroughs" and drop "outer" as some may want to do. From a native New Yorker, the term is not insulting or used with derision, at least not in my experience.

Nobody would say "I live in an outer borough," unless they are deliberately trying to evade a question as to where they live. People would say something like "I live in <insert borough name or neighborhood name>" just as a Manhattanite may say "I live in Manhattan," or "I live on the Upper West Side."

Any legitimate term can be altered in the delivery when one speaks, so much of the use of the term depends upon the context. Referring to geographic proximity at the borough level, it's a neutral term, as Manhattan's business districts are acknowledged as the center of the city. However, the term can also be used as an insult, as can just about any term if delivered in a condescending manner.

Some who do not know better, and who may not be from the city, might use the term derisively. I have been witness to that. It's funny, especially when used by someone who thinks that everything in Manhattan is superior (with 3-4 roommates) and insults someone who happens to own their own place in Brooklyn Heights, with the "outer borough" posturing.

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Originally Posted by Fred314X

You should've read a little history before making that comment. Until January 1, 1898, all of New York City was contained on the island of Manhattan. So when the city comprised of five boroughs became the new reality, the four new ones were the 'outer boroughs.' The name stuck. As we say around here, waddaya gonna do?

Speaking of history, at one time New York City did not even totally control all of Manhattan Island! Until the early 1800s, Harlem was a independent Town (township), dating back to the 1600s. Harlem included not only Harlem itself but areas like Washington Heights, Inwood, Morningside and even part of the Upper East Side (Yorkville).

This is probably why the forerunner of the New York Central Railroad was called the New York AND Harlem RR, possibly implying that Harlem was not yet considered part of New York City at the time.

[K.O.N.Y]

Theres no such thing as an outer borough. Nyc is the biggest city in the united states with a population of 8+ million people. Damn near 7 million of that lives outside manhattan. It doesnt matter if manhattan has the best of everything. NYCs core population is in the bx,brooklyn and queens

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Originally Posted by K.O.N.Y

The guy has a point i never heard natives use that term before. Outer borough?- out of what exactly? lol

And i dont know about the other three but the Bronx was always a part of new york, even before 1898

exactly...

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Originally Posted by bmwguydc

I'm a native, from Manhattan, and the term is used by natives, but not in the way people are thinking. When referring to an individual borough, the name is used, but collectively referring to the remaining four boroughs as the "outer boroughs" is a means of shortening the naming of each borough. Manhattan is itself, a borough, so it's inappropriate to refer to "the boroughs" and drop "outer" as some may want to do. From a native New Yorker, the term is not insulting or used with derision, at least not in my experience.

Nobody would say "I live in an outer borough," unless they are deliberately trying to evade a question as to where they live. People would say something like "I live in <insert borough name or neighborhood name>" just as a Manhattanite may say "I live in Manhattan," or "I live on the Upper West Side."

Any legitimate term can be altered in the delivery when one speaks, so much of the use of the term depends upon the context. Referring to geographic proximity at the borough level, it's a neutral term, as Manhattan's business districts are acknowledged as the center of the city. However, the term can also be used as an insult, as can just about any term if delivered in a condescending manner.

Some who do not know better, and who may not be from the city, might use the term derisively. I have been witness to that. It's funny, especially when used by someone who thinks that everything in Manhattan is superior (with 3-4 roommates) and insults someone who happens to own their own place in Brooklyn Heights, with the "outer borough" posturing.

I still never heard it used. I never heard anyone say I am looking for a house in the outer boro's, its always I am looking for a house in Brooklyn or Queens etc... but never outer. It makes it seem as if the outer boro is similiar to living upstate or something and its not. I think it confuses people.
To me there is no outer boro (maybe with the exception of S.I (lol)) there is only the 5 boros.

[Fred314X]

Originally Posted by K.O.N.Y

And i dont know about the other three but the Bronx was always a part of new york, even before 1898

The Bronx was part of Westchester County. New York City had a small slice of land along the Harlem River that was called the Annexed District. The rest of the land came along after 1898, and in fact The Bronx didn't graduate to borough status until 1914.

Brooklyn had been an independent city until 1898. Queens was formed out of three towns (Long Island City, Newtown and Flushing). Strangely enough, at the time of the voting, there was a chance that all of Nassau County could have elected to join NYC. Only those three towns did, and along with the Rockaways, the borough of Queens was created.

That's where "outer borough" comes from; a little bit of Manhattan condescension towards what became the rest of the city. As a native Brooklynite, of course, I never use such silly terminology.