“The City” (New York, Yonkers, White Plains: real estate, apartment, high school)

[gladhands]

I grew up in New York, lived in three of the five boroughs, and went to high school in a fourth. Throughout my life, when people have said the city, they either meant the five boroughs or, Manhattan alone. On the city-vs-city board, I’ve seen people recently saying that “the city” is just Manhattan, south of Harlem. Is this a thing now, or is this just C-D nonsense?

[livingsinglenyc]

Originally Posted by gladhands

I grew up in New York, lived in three of the five boroughs, and went to high school in a fourth. Throughout my life, when people have said the city, they either meant the five boroughs or, Manhattan alone. On the city-vs-city board, I’ve seen people recently saying that “the city” is just Manhattan, south of Harlem. Is this a thing now, or is this just C-D nonsense?

Ive always referred to Manhattan as "The City". The Boro's each get called by the Boro's name. Yes Manhattan, Queens, The Bronx, Brooklyn, and Staten Island are all part of "New York City", but as far as I'm concerned "The City" means Manhattan.

[TizOnly1]

I've never heard anyone refer to The City as being specifically below 96th St, but in my experience, if someone's going to Harlem, that is usually something that's specified.

Like if I'm going to midtown, I'll just say "I'm going into the City", but if I'm going to 125th, it'll be "I'm going Uptown" or "I'm headed to Harlem". It's not an "official" thing, or anything I've ever thought about in my life before writing this post, but it is a thing I guess.

[Airborneguy]

"The City" will always mean Manhattan (yes, the whole boro). It comes from when "The City" literally was just Manhattan. It's a figure of speech that's been around for well over 100 years. Just ignore whatever some hipster, millennial or real estate agent adds to it.

[Henna]

Originally Posted by gladhands

I grew up in New York, lived in three of the five boroughs, and went to high school in a fourth. Throughout my life, when people have said the city, they either meant the five boroughs or, Manhattan alone. On the city-vs-city board, I’ve seen people recently saying that “the city” is just Manhattan, south of Harlem. Is this a thing now, or is this just C-D nonsense?

Wait, so you're saying that you could be in Brooklyn, traveling to Queens, but say, "I'm going to The City" meaning Queens?

That really doesn't make sense.

Edit: OK, just re-read what you wrote and it seems maybe you're saying that people who are outside of the entire city of NY (like Westchester or NJ) might say, "I'm going to the City" when in fact they were only just going to Brooklyn and not Manhattan. Perhaps they do say that, but it would seem strange to me.

I'm not a native, but I picked up the whole "The City" meaning Manhattan thing from my good friend (also not a native but her father was) when we lived in Brooklyn. I never got the feeling I was supposed to differentiate Harlem from the rest of Manhattan when I learned the term, but I am not sure that specific issue ever arose.

[BPt111]

NYC metro area slangs

North of 96th street = Uptown areas like Harlem, East Harlem etc
South of 96th street = “The City” refer to area south of 96th street or Manhattan in general
BX or The X = The Bronx
BK = Brooklyn
The East or Going to East = East New York area or Eastern Brooklyn
LIC = Long Island City
Strong Island = Long Island
SI = Staten Island
Westchester = Westchester County areas like Yonkers, MT Vernon, White Plains
The City = can refer as NYC or Manhattan also if live in within metro area not in NYC
Midtown = 34th Street to 59th Street area

[l1995]

There's no specific cutoff, but it seems like people usually mean South of Harlem and especially South of 59th st when they say "the city". I know Harlem and Washington Heights are also extremely urban, but they're less CBD-esque than Lower/Midtown Manhattan

[iammax]

When I say "going to the city" I usually mean going to anywhere in Manhattan from an outer borough, or my apartment in Harlem

[BPt111]

Originally Posted by iammax

When I say "going to the city" I usually mean going to anywhere in Manhattan from an outer borough, or my apartment in Harlem

People call Harlem uptown

[VA Yankee]

Grew up in the burbs, the city for us meant Manhattan if we were going to another borough we just refer to it as Brooklyn, Queens, or The Bronx. Never went to Staten Island... :-)