Verbiage: Living IN a city, vs living ON an island? (New York, underground)

[Zelpha]

Long Island, New York for example.

Do we say that people live IN Long Island, or ON Long Island?

People live in New York, but we'd never say that people live ON New York

[nei]

But it's ON Long Island.

It just is.

[MidValleyDad]

Originally Posted by Zelpha

Long Island, New York for example.

Do we say that people live IN Long Island, or ON Long Island?

People live in New York, but we'd never say that people live ON New York

If you live underground than you could say you live IN Long Island. However most people live ON the surface of the island.

But you live within the town (or city) limits so you live IN the town (or city)

[Zelpha]

Originally Posted by MidValleyDad

If you live underground than you could say you live IN Long Island. However most people live ON the surface of the island.

But you live within the town (or city) limits so you live IN the town (or city)

Thanks guys. English is my native tongue, but I just caught myself yesterday overwhelmingly wanting to say that someone lives IN Long Island, although I knew ON was the right word. Wanted to discuss how weird that seemed to me at the moment.

I'll continue to behave & speak English properly

[Katarina Witt]

On a related note:

I grew up in a place called "Patterson Heights". My mom used to say we lived "on" Patterson Heights. I thought that was kind of strange. Anyone?

[robr2]

It's local dependent. People live in Falmouth but it's on Cape Cod. My ears grate whenever I hear "in" Cape Cod.

[MidValleyDad]

Originally Posted by Katarina Witt

On a related note:

I grew up in a place called "Patterson Heights". My mom used to say we lived "on" Patterson Heights. I thought that was kind of strange. Anyone?

Patterson Heights was named because it is a physical terrain feature. So living 'on the Heights' is appropriate (again unless you burrowed underground in which case you would live in Patterson Heights :-) ) Of course once a municipality took the name Patterson Heights it would be appropriate to say you lived in Patterson Heights whether you lived on the high ground or not. Which gives you the option of living IN Patterson Heights ON Patterson Heights if you lived in the appropriate part of town. In many small towns here in the mid Atlantic (especially older ones) living on the 'heights' or 'the hill' was a status symbol since the better part of town was at the higher elevation where they would be cooler because of the breezes in the summer.

[kevxu]

Originally Posted by Zelpha

Long Island, New York for example.

Do we say that people live IN Long Island, or ON Long Island?

People live in New York, but we'd never say that people live ON New York

But people live "in" Manhattan, not "on" Manhattan; and yet Manhattan is an island.

You live "on" Staten Island, not "in" it. Ditto the other places around NYC with "island" as part of their name, and Fire Island as well.

Thinking of other places, perhaps it is the inclusion of "island" in the name that calls for "on."

[eschaton]

People live on the coast/shore. People live in the hills/mountains/forest/desert. If you're talking about naming a particular version, I guess you live on a named hill/mountain, but still live in the forest or a desert even if you're talking about a specific one.

[engineman]

I grew up on Long Island, but a few years back I lived in the city of Treasure Island FL, which was actually a city located on 4 islands. One is a geographical location, the other a political entity.