Don't you hate it when people say BRKLYN/QNS aren't the city?! (New York: school, DMV)

[Fred314X]

Originally Posted by nyyankees1237

I was debating with people from Long Island today and they were trying to tell me that Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island are not New York City.

They were simply demonstrating an ignorance of history. Prior to January 1, 1898 New York City was contained completely on the island of Manhattan and was not made up of five boroughs. The term "the city" is a holdover from those days. (Similarly, the neighborhood in eastern Brooklyn called City Line is a holdover from the days when Brooklyn was an independent city, and if you went into what became Queens you actually were crossing a city line).

Instruct those people to crack open a history book, and inform them that you won the debate.

[overdose]

Originally Posted by barkomatic

Technically, legally, Brooklyn and Queens are part of NYC of course. Culturally, they are not--and I think most people lean toward culture when thinking of the division.

I've yet to hear someone say I live in NYC when they live in Brooklyn in casual conversation.

what? so Manhattan sets the standard of what is NYC and what isn't?

[rgr555]

Originally Posted by overdose

what? so Manhattan sets the standard of what is NYC and what isn't?

Yes, in fact Manhattan sets the standard for a lot of the world be it good or bad. dont hate

[sheaosaurus]

My mother lives in in extreme Eastern Long Island, and when people say they are going to "the city", they expressly mean Manhattan. If they were going to any other borough, they would name the borough.
I grew up in Manhattan, and have always called it "the city", but am completely aware of the fact the the other four boroughs are apart of New York City.

Two types of people annoy me:
1. Manhattan is New York City. This may have been true before 1900, but it is 2011. I find this mostly to be said my people who moved here and have never ventured across the river.
2. People who think "the city" is anything south of 96th street. Hello, Manhattan extends to 218th Street and into Marble Hill.

[Walter Greenspan]

Originally Posted by Fred314X

Prior to January 1, 1898 New York City was contained completely on the island of Manhattan ...

No, it wasn't.

In addition to the several East River Islands, prior to January 1m 1898, the city and county of New York included all of what is now the Bronx.

[checkmatechamp13]

Originally Posted by sheaosaurus

Two types of people annoy me:
1. Manhattan is New York City. This may have been true before 1900, but it is 2011. I find this mostly to be said my people who moved here and have never ventured across the river.
2. People who think "the city" is anything south of 96th street. Hello, Manhattan extends to 218th Street and into Marble Hill.

I usually just say Manhattan, but my relatives sometimes call it "the city", but when they do, they usually just mean south of 96th Street. If they were going up to say, Washington Heights, they wouldn't really refer to it as "the city".

[sheaosaurus]

Originally Posted by checkmatechamp13

I usually just say Manhattan, but my relatives sometimes call it "the city", but when they do, they usually just mean south of 96th Street. If they were going up to say, Washington Heights, they wouldn't really refer to it as "the city".

If they aren't from here, that makes sense. Most tourist or people that aren't from here don't venture upto Washington Heights. My opinion is, Manhattan goes all the way upto 218th, and people call Manhattan the city. Thus, all of Manhattan equals the city.

[tommyc_37]

This is what makes NYC so unique. The city is basically a series of islands, each with their own identity (or group of identities). It really is NOT a contiguous city, like Los Angeles or really any other US city that I can think of.

Natural water boundaries (such as rivers, bays, etc) enhance the fact that these boroughs are separate entities. This contributes to a phenomenon known as provincialism, which NYC and its residents are well known for.

To somebody from Long Island, especially an "older" person over 40, who remembers a time when Brooklyn and Queens were NOT filled with transplants, but instead were outposts for lifelong blue collar outer borough residents and hotbeds for crime that they saw on the evening news, Brooklyn and Queens are really NOT "the city". Don't forget, many of these types of people had parents (or they themselves) who were originally from Brooklyn or Queens, and as children they were removed from the increasingly crime-filled neighborhoods as "other types of people" moved in, and they were whisked away to a rather bland suburbia. To these people, there is nothing glamorous at all about Brooklyn and Queens. Forget the Bronx! And Staten Island is just a weird place to pass through when visiting cousin Ed in Jersey.

Likewise, when the 20-something girls and guys get all dolled up to get on the LIRR to go to some crappy bars in midtown, "in the city", their destination is neither Brooklyn nor Queens.

I can understand the mindset. When you're crossing from Nassau County into Queens County, it's not exactly a grand "welcome to NYC" entrance with bells and whistles. Actually, you still feel like you are driving on a highway in sprawly suburbia.

You think it's bad from a borough perspective ... try from the NJ perspective! I live one mile from my office in the Financial District, and NYers (generally transplant NYers) do not believe me that it takes me 5 minutes to get to work (I live in Jersey City). "But...you're in New Jersey. That's a whole 'nother state! I live in Manhattan and it takes me 4 times as long. Impossible!".

Haha. There is just a lot of ignorance all around. Try not to let it bother you; it's really not worth it (but I know, it is annoying).

[Fred314X]

Originally Posted by Walter Greenspan

No, it wasn't.

In addition to the several East River Islands, prior to January 1m 1898, the city and county of New York included all of what is now the Bronx.

OK, OK--if you want to be really technical, prior to January 1, 1898 New York City consisted of New York County and what was called the "Annexed District," which was the slice of The Bronx against the Harlem River. The rest of it was part of Westchester County at the time, and didn't actually attain borough status as The Bronx until 1914. (Just in case you wondered if I really knew!)

[Ironkid1]

When you address a letter to someone who lives in manhattan, the letter is addressed to ny ny, or new york city, ny. When your sending a letter to brooklyn or queens you would write brooklyn ny or queens ny. if you put ny ny it will not get sent there!

manhattan is new york city end of discussion. stop trying to convince yourself your borough is just as much considered nyc than manhattan is cause its not.