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I think the reason some refer to the borough of Manhattan which is part of NYC as "The City" is because of its epic-ness and extreme development not just when compared to the other boroughs but compared to anywhere in the world and any city in the world. Manhattan, an island borough and top tourist destination known as the cultural and economic center of the United States, housing the UN headquarters, wall street and the largest stock exchanges in the world and Broadway and top tourist destination Times Square (also known as Center of the Universe), the skyscraper rich skyline of which contains relatively small buildings that dwarf anything in the other 4 boroughs, with its super-dense population, and the most expensive real estate on Earth, makes the other 4 boroughs by comparison look like boring sprawling forgettable farmland in the country.
I was in Sacramento for a couple of weeks a few years ago. Over one of the weekends I visited San Francisco for a day. When I got back to Sacramento, an associate who lived there asked me what I had done over the weekend. When I told her I had been to San Francisco, she said, "I haven't been to the city in a while. I need to go."
Knowing I was from South Carolina on the other side of the continent, she asked if I had ever been to New York. I said yes. Then she asked me how it compared to San Francisco. I said San Francisco is large and dense. New York is that on a permanent major dose of steroids.
I've heard people outside of NYC refer to NYC as "The City".
We in NJ call it The City, but apparently, some South Jerseyans refer to Philly that way. There was a guy on the NJ forum who married someone from South Jersey and lived down there, and when she said she wanted to go into the city, he got all excited except when he found out she meant Philadelphia.
At a high school reunion held in North Jersey, I told a classmate's husband, from Colorado, that I work in the city. He said "what city?" I wanted to say "WTF city do you THINK I mean? Do you know where you ARE?" But, I was nice and told him "New York".
I was in Sacramento for a couple of weeks a few years ago. Over one of the weekends I visited San Francisco for a day. When I got back to Sacramento, an associate who lived there asked me what I had done over the weekend. When I told her I had been to San Francisco, she said, "I haven't been to the city in a while. I need to go."
Knowing I was from South Carolina on the other side of the continent, she asked if I had ever been to New York. I said yes. Then she asked me how it compared to San Francisco. I said San Francisco is large and dense. New York is that on a permanent major dose of steroids.
I have friends and relatives in Oakland and Berkeley and they refer to San Francisco the same way, The City.
Again until the act of incorporation New York City referred to just that, Manhattan. This was often shortened to just "the city".
Prior to the act though smaller than today Brooklyn was it's own city. Richmond (Staten Island), Bronx and Queens were counties. Am not that old but remember well seeing "Richmond County" for Staten Island on various official forms and such.
You still see "county" used for things like district attorney, court houses and such.
Over the years off and on there has been talk of making Westchester County part of New York City. Not likely to happen now but some seriously considered it a viable option.
One reason why NYC government is such mess is that over the years not only did the five counties have to cobble together a city government but had to do so in ways that protected some of the sovereignty held by the former independent city (Brooklyn) and counties.
It evolved just like many other sayings. The Bronx used to be land owned by the Bronk family. People would say they were going to the Bronk's, which eventually became The Bronx.
It evolved just like many other sayings. The Bronx used to be land owned by the Bronk family. People would say they were going to the Bronk's, which eventually became The Bronx.
Right, wrong and wrong. Yes the Bronck family did own the land but other prominent families began making headway like the Morris family. As for why the Bronx is called the Bronx? Because the Bronx never had a name actually. Bronx was divided up by North new York in the south Bronx. Central Bronx was called West farms and east Bronx was part Westchester. I'm not sure about West Bronx. However the Bronx river ran through the peninsula, so the term the Bronx got stuck thanks to the Bronx river, which is the only natural river in NYC.
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