"Manhattan" or "the city"?

[rara0avis]

What do Manhattanites as well as residents of the outer boroughs commonly refer to Manhattan as? "Manhattan" or "the city"?

[scumonkey]

the city

[Alonzo-ny]

From my experience living in Queens, both. Id say it differs along social lines from what I noticed.

[ZippyTheChimp]

As told to me, "New York" was used in Brooklyn in the first part of the 20th century, and that became "The City," which is still popular today. Though I now live in Manhattan, when someone who lives in an outer borough calls me, I'll ask, "Are you in the city?" - not "Are you in Manhattan?"

In the Bronx, "Downtown" is used a lot, probably because of the street numbering.

[The Benniest]

An opinion from an out-of-stater......

Whenever I talk about New York City, I always refer to it as Manhattan, because my friends and family who are not as into NYC as me, would think that "the city" would be the entire city and all of its boroughs... :) And its just a personal preference...

[NoyokA]

I never say Manhattan. I feel its too pretentious. I just say the City. If I want to know what my friends from Queens or Brooklyn are doing, I'll say something like "you want to come to the City?"

[718Bound]

An opinion from an out-of-stater......

Whenever I talk about New York City, I always refer to it as Manhattan, because my friends and family who are not as into NYC as me, would think that "the city" would be the entire city and all of its boroughs... :) And its just a personal preference...

An opinion from a former Long Islander and an opinion from a current upstate...

I know this has been discussed before but when I was growing up (Long Island) all 5 boroughs were the city... You'd be going to "the city" then more specific like Manhattan or Brooklyn etc. etc. If you were telling someone about a place you might be even more specif instead of saying just Manhattan you say "I went to this nice place in ______." ...but if lets say I was meeting someone in Manhattan I'd probably say Manhattan. But again depending on who I was meeting I'd might just tell them where I am, the neighborhood or even corner I was at... It just depends....

Up here many it also depends. live about halfway in between Rochester and Syracuse. Closer to Rochester, Rochester would be "the City" to some people. Near me "The City" could be Rochester or NYC... It depends on the person. Some refer to Rochester as the The City some refer to it as the Roc[k] some up here no matter what upstate city you live near think the only "The City" is NYC.... ...but if someone was specifically talking to Manhattan, they'd say Manhattan.

I've also been in the situation with friends where I'd be visiting or staying down in NYC, usually staying in Brooklyn or something, be separated from the friend and ask if they wanna stay in Brooklyn tonight or go into the City... To which which (there are two different friends I usually go down with) one gets it, one gives me a "duh isn't Brooklyn in the city..." reply...

So I guess with all that blabber I really mean it depends on the crowd...

[Ninjahedge]

Yep.

I say "the city" for Manhattan, as most of the people I talk to in the nearby 'burbs or in the (whole) city know that to be Manhattan.

Hell, you tell someone in Queens you are going into teh city, they know what you are talking about, otherwise you would probably say "Queens"!! ;)

The further out from NYC I get, the more I have to be specific. If I am talking to someone from out of town, you have to say "Manhattan". "The City" is not hard-wired for them. Their "city" may be Boston, or LA, or Chicago, and it takes a moment for them to swap that with what your context is referring to.

So both work with most people, althoughI have rarely seen people think of anything but Manhattan as "The City" while ALL of the boroughs have always been "New York City".

[antinimby]

I don't see why saying "Manhattan" is pretentious. Manhattan is one of the five boroughs. That's its name. What's so pretentious about that?

I always say Manhattan although when I do hear people The City, I know that they are referring to Manhattan.

[718Bound]

All this talk of "The City" made me excited and think of Manhattan. Though, the more I heard the "The City" mentioned in this thread it made me think of the MTV show, the spin off of The Hills. :mad: I hate the Hills and hate The City even more! Unfortunately Manhattan seems to be full of enough pretentious implants who seem to have no idea what's going on. As if those people are not bad enough they had to import faker people in to do this show!?! They couldn't put 1 true New Yorker on that show?

Yea, Whitney is a "real" New Yorker this week because she found an apartment. :rolleyes: That was before the exciting episode that I missed where Whitney had to decide if she was downtown hipster or an uptown socialite.:rolleyes:

I've never even been to California so I'm not gonna stereotype, but I've hated seeing people in their 20's trying to dress and act like they are in an episode of The Hills...

Sorry for the rant.:D

[USSManhattan]

I use "the City" most of the time... to the still occasional bewilderment of my Maine-based mother who thinks of New York as a whole when she hears it (she also says New York CITY as opposed to New York)

[rara0avis]

Thanks everyone, for all of your responses. :o

[lofter1]

In California, "The City" is in reference to San Francisco.

[The Benniest]

I know this has been discussed before but when I was growing up (Long Island) all 5 boroughs were the city... You'd be going to "the city" then more specific like Manhattan or Brooklyn etc. etc.....
I completely agree with this statement 718.. :)

[Amberlicious7583]

The city!

[Schadenfrau]

When I'm at home in the Bronx, I'm either going downtown or to Manhattan. The only people I've heard use "The City" are recent transplants who think they're Carrie Bradshaw or local suburbanites who think it makes them sound urbane.

All five boroughs are "The City."

[KenNYC]

I still say Manhattan, but pretty much all the New Yorkers and even Jersey people I know just say the city. And no, they don't mean the other 4 boroughs :) Even the Brooklynites seems to acknowledge Manhattan as "the city".

[dramaticrunner]

I call it "the city". A recent transplant - yes. Thinks I'm Carrie Bradshaw - most definitely not.

[Ninjahedge]

When I'm at home in the Bronx, I'm either going downtown or to Manhattan. The only people I've heard use "The City" are recent transplants who think they're Carrie Bradshaw or local suburbanites who think it makes them sound urbane.

All five boroughs are "The City."


Tell that to my in-laws in Queens.

And their friends.


I guess being in NYC for only 20+ years still makes you a "recent transplant". Hmm. ;)

[Ninjahedge]

In all fairness, let me clarify it a bit.

I guess it all depends on what you are talking about and, sometimes, where.

If I am in the 'burbs of NJ and talking about Queens, I refer to it as both "the city" and Queens. If I am talking about getting there, I have to drive right through the middle of "the city".

When I am in Midtown, the Bronx is always The Bronx, Queens is always Queens, etc etc.

Hell, the Village is The Village when I am in Midtown!

But when I am talking to friends or relatives in one of the boroughs, they usually refer to Manhattan as "the city" as in: "Lets meet in the city tonight after work". Or, "I will be in the city later, lets meet up".

I guess it all depends on how close you are to the epicenter when you are referring to it....

[Schadenfrau]

Exactly- and don't your in-laws live closer to Long Island than they do Manhattan?

[Ninjahedge]

About in the middle.

Forest Hills, Brooklyn, and right by the mall on the "Avenue of death" ;)

I think it just has to do with how people are using it. If they are in queens and they say "The city" they mean Manhattan. If they say that while on Vacation, they could mean anywhere........

Context I guess.