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The "its just easier to say the main city" just doesn't make sense in this instance.
There are too many prominent satellite cities in the Puget Sound area, and it could be argued that Tacoma is a somewhat famous port city in its own right (name of the city in primary airport name).
You don't live here, but I'm telling you that that's the way it is, and it DOES make sense. Seattle, deserved or not, has a world class/international reputation, while Tacoma does not.
Weirdly, I think a lot of it has to do with Seahawks fans tbh, which I kind of laugh at given that they only won a single title a decade ago and everyone acts like they're in the same leagues of history with New England, Pittsburgh, SF, Dallas, etc. I vastly underestimated how big of a pro sports town Seattle really is though-- pretty robust fanbases all around.
I spent a good chunk of time in the Atlanta area and that subject never really got brought up by the locals. It was always understood that Atlanta (the anchor city) was heavily responsible for the economic growth and development of its surrounding cities. I never 'claimed' Atlanta proper but if someone not from Atlanta asked me where I lived, then I would generically state Atlanta or the Atlanta area. The development of my suburb technically is incorporated into the Atlanta MSA / CSA and its economic growth trajectory is heavily dependent on it, so there is just cause to say you're from Atlanta. Maybe not Atlanta proper, but Atlanta to me has a much broader meaning than the city proper. And no, I'm not claiming it because I think that makes me a better person, but rather who on gods earth knows what Peachtree Corners is?
I moved to Austin TX and spent a few years in the city proper before moving out to the burbs and there is a big condenscending and very snooty distortion about where you live. Whats makes even less sense is the fact that the people who often bring it up are often liberals that call themselves progressive despite the fact that it was mostly minority groups that were forced out the city... Who cares. I do not think anyone living in Austin proper is better than anyone living in the burbs only because of their address. Same for Seattle, San Francisco or LA. If you have to live in the city proper only for the sake of claiming a name, you have an ego problem.
Last edited by Need4Camaro; 12-06-2023 at 01:30 PM..
I live in Olympia and know many folks from Tacoma and they definitely identify with Tacoma more than Seattle. Seattle and Tacoma are geographically very close to each other but they have their own identity. I feel like Tacoma has enough name recognition that it wouldn’t make any sense to claim you’re from Seattle when traveling elsewhere in the US. Maybe internationally, it would make sense to say “oh I’m from the Seattle area”.
Eh, I guess they see themselves as a very separate entity. I claimed Oakland before SF when I lived there, but I'd start of with "Bay Area" or "Northern California" before narrowing it down when people asked where I lived.
I do like Tacoma a lot, but I spend more of my time in Seattle just because it's more of a regional hub where everyone from the area gathers. Tacoma is more of a local 'secret', and just like how many San Franciscans would rather die than cross the Bay Bridge to venture into Oakland, plenty of Seattleites have no idea Tacoma even exists.
There is zero chance that anyone who has lived in Seattle for more than a few months is unaware of the existence of Tacoma lol
There is zero chance that anyone who has lived in Seattle for more than a few months is unaware of the existence of Tacoma lol
I was being hyperbolic, but lots of Seattleites and people from the Eastside are terrified of Tacoma's reputation for crime (kind of ironic since Seattle has plenty of its own issues with crime) and won't leave their bubble to explore it. Their loss, really.
I was being hyperbolic, but lots of Seattleites and people from the Eastside are terrified of Tacoma's reputation for crime (kind of ironic since Seattle has plenty of its own issues with crime) and won't leave their bubble to explore it. Their loss, really.
Got you. Yeah, the eastside is really its own special bubble.
You don't live here, but I'm telling you that that's the way it is, and it DOES make sense. Seattle, deserved or not, has a world class/international reputation, while Tacoma does not.
Weirdly, I think a lot of it has to do with Seahawks fans tbh, which I kind of laugh at given that they only won a single title a decade ago and everyone acts like they're in the same leagues of history with New England, Pittsburgh, SF, Dallas, etc. I vastly underestimated how big of a pro sports town Seattle really is though-- pretty robust fanbases all around.
Not disputing that it happens, just saying the "I just say X city because its easier" justification is paper thin in this case. If its a regional sports pride thing, I guess that's different.
Tacoma might not be a world famous destination, but as a satellite city in a metro area, I'd say its at the level or maybe slightly below St. Paul in notoriety. That's only to say that people know what it is and know that its there.
I live in Olympia and know many folks from Tacoma and they definitely identify with Tacoma more than Seattle. Seattle and Tacoma are geographically very close to each other but they have their own identity. I feel like Tacoma has enough name recognition that it wouldn’t make any sense to claim you’re from Seattle when traveling elsewhere in the US. Maybe internationally, it would make sense to say “oh I’m from the Seattle area”.
Some nuance to this, I think "Seattle area" somewhat works, but I also remember how individually known the smaller towns became during the grunge era. So for fans of the music (which there were/are a lot of around the world), places like Aberdeen, Olympia, etc. could be somewhat like Liverpool in name recognition.
Not disputing that it happens, just saying the "I just say X city because its easier" justification is paper thin in this case. If its a regional sports pride thing, I guess that's different.
Tacoma might not be a world famous destination, but as a satellite city in a metro area, I'd say its at the level or maybe slightly below St. Paul in notoriety. That's only to say that people know what it is and know that its there.
No way. Have you ever even been to Tacoma?? St. Paul is a state capital and functions as a "twin city" whereas Tacoma and Seattle have more of a SF/SJ relationship.
No way. Have you ever even been to Tacoma?? St. Paul is a state capital and functions as a "twin city" whereas Tacoma and Seattle have more of a SF/SJ relationship.
No, and I fail to see how having been to Tacoma or not is relevant in gauging its name recognition in American culture at large. I get that its bigger and there's more there, but ask a random person in America to name something specific about St. Paul.
As a real quick example, I'm guessing more people have heard of the Tacoma Dome than any venue in St. Paul.
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