Why is New York a City?

As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls

Jay wrote: I'm presently living in Victoria City, on Vancouver Island. Vancouver City is *not* on Vancouver Island. Victoria Island is in the high arctic. You guys have *no* idea how hard it is to convey this to touristing Europeans.

I know what you're saying (and I've been to all four, including Victoria Island) - but I don't think Victoria and Vancouver ever use the "City" suffix, do they? It's probably the City Of Vxxxxxx.

There are cities named after states all over the place, and not always in the appropriate state. I think Colorado City, AZ is one of the polygamist hideouts. There's also a Colorado City in TX and (duh) Colorado. Kansas Cities can be found in MO, KS and OR.

Heck, just type (state) City into Google and you'll get a hit on a lot of states. Especially out west.

Oklahoma City, OK

I think that places that add "City" to thier name are trying to hard.

The fact that NYC doesn't officially have "City" as part of thier name supports my position.

Michigan City, Indiana

WilD wrote: Does anyone other than ignorant country folk ever say "New York City"? I was under the impression that anyone from New York would never, ever, add "City" to the name. On the other hand, I see the NYC abbreviation fairly often. I'm confused too...

My wife is from NYC. They don't call it "New York". They usually call it "The City".

You or I would think "New York" is the geographic area taken up by the 5 Boroughs. New Yorkers don't mean that when they say "New York". They mean Manhattan. They don't even have a word for the 5 Boroughs combined.

To make matters worse, 5 of New York's 62 Counties are INSIDE of New York City, but have no County governments- New York County (Manhattan), Kings County (Brooklyn), Bronx County (The Bronx), Richmond County (Staten Island), and Queens County (Queens)

As you drive on the roads in New York, you will see exit signs for places. Places like Cambria Heights, Valley Stream, Kew Gardens, Bedford Stuyvesant, Flushing, Fresh Meadows, etc. You will think these are towns. They are not real places. They have no governments, and are not incorporated. They are just neighborhood names of places inside of the Counties which are inside of the City. But they do have their own Zip Codes, and their own Post Offices.

If you live in Flushing, you don't say, "I live in New York". You say, "I live in Queens", even though the map says Queens is in New York.

If you live in Cambria Heights and say, "I'm going to The City", you actually mean you are going to Manhattan, which isn't it's real name either, it is actually called New York County, but no one calls it that.

Got it?

My wife just corrected me. If you live in Flushing, you say, "I live in Flushing", and everyone knows that Flushing is in Queens.

Got it?

SVreX wrote:

WilD wrote: Does anyone other than ignorant country folk ever say "New York City"? I was under the impression that anyone from New York would never, ever, add "City" to the name. On the other hand, I see the NYC abbreviation fairly often. I'm confused too...

My wife is from NYC. They don't call it "New York". They usually call it "The City". You or I would think "New York" is the geographic area taken up by the 5 Boroughs. New Yorkers don't mean that when they say "New York". They mean Manhattan. They don't even have a word for the 5 Boroughs combined. To make matters worse, 5 of New York's 62 Counties are INSIDE of New York City, and have no County governments- New York County (Manhattan), Kings County (Brooklyn), Bronx County (The Bronx), Richmond County (Staten Island), and Queens County (Queens) As you drive on the roads in New York, you will see exit signs for places. Places like Cambria Heights, Valley Stream, Kew Gardens, Bedford Stuyvesant, Flushing, Fresh Meadows, etc. You will think these are towns. They are not real places. They have no governments, and are not incorporated. They are just neighborhood names of places inside of the Counties which are inside of the City. But they do have their own Zip Codes, and their own Post Offices. If you live in Flushing, you don't say, "I live in New York". You say, "I live in Queens", even though the map says Queens is in New York. If you live in Cambria Heights and say, "I'm going to The City", you actually mean you are going to Manhattan, which isn't it's real name either, it is actually called New York County, but no one calls it that. Got it?

Chicago has that to a certain extent--no, all in one county, but we do have neighborhoods. Wicker Park, Bucktown. Andersonville and Wrigleyville. Gladstone Park, Washington Heights. None of them are towns. All neighborhoods. And some of them are sub-neighborhoods within a bigger one.

BTW, it works in upstate NY too.

If you live in Syracuse and are going to NYC, you would say, "I'm going to The City".

If you are a New Yorker in VA headed for NYC, you would make the distinction and say, "I am going to New York City". But that's just because all New Yorkers know that every other state is not too smart.

Maybe this will help you understand:

Map of the world, as seen from New York.

My dad is from Nevada City, CA.

Toyman01 wrote: If you walked up to me and started talking about New York, I would think state, unless you said New York City. That doesn't happen when you say Chicago, or Baltimore. It does to an extent when discussing Washington, which is why it goes by DC most of the time.

Here is the fun part for Baltimore. Baltimore City is it's own county, but there is also a Baltimore County. So Baltimore City is really Baltimore City County. Baltimore City County is entirely surrounded by Baltimore County.

Keith Tanner wrote:

Jay wrote: I'm presently living in Victoria City, on Vancouver Island. Vancouver City is *not* on Vancouver Island. Victoria Island is in the high arctic. You guys have *no* idea how hard it is to convey this to touristing Europeans.

I know what you're saying (and I've been to all four, including Victoria Island) - but I don't think Victoria and Vancouver ever use the "City" suffix, do they? It's probably the City Of Vxxxxxx.

Yeah "xxx City" isn't used officially or in normal conversation - I just did that to differentiate them for the purposes of my statement. :P Thankfully nobody calls "Vancouver Island" "Vancouver" unlike some nearby islands which do not (usually) carry an "Island" suffix (Salt Spring, Pender, etc.)

Have you been to Street Road in Upstate NY?

mtn wrote: Michigan City, Indiana

You beat me to it!

There's also a Cement City, MI. Without the city it would just be cement. No one wants to live in Cement.

In reply to Devilsolsi:

More fun, I live in Baltimore county, my zip code is Baltimore as the "town" though I'm in the county.

paranoid_android74 wrote:

mtn wrote: Michigan City, Indiana

You beat me to it! There's also a Cement City, MI. Without the city it would just be cement. No one wants to live in Cement.

Especially not the folks who live in the thriving metropolis of Concrete, Washington.

We have Texas City, Texas! It blew up in 1947 but was rebuit.

Bruce

Keith Tanner wrote: Maybe it's because Chicago is not in Chicago State. Of course, Kansas City is in Missouri...

I graduated from Chicago State University or Chicago State as the locals call it. And Chicago State IS in Chicago.

"The city" is just as irritating as when NFL players say they went to "THE Ohio State University".

They shouldv'e named the city New York and the state New Yorkshire or sonething like that. Or even better, just stuck with New Amsterdam.

pinchvalve wrote: What if millions of people moved out of NYC, NY and it officially became a town? Or a Village?

Or New Amsterdam?

Datsun310Guy wrote:

Keith Tanner wrote: Maybe it's because Chicago is not in Chicago State. Of course, Kansas City is in Missouri...

I graduated from Chicago State University or Chicago State as the locals call it. And Chicago State IS in Chicago.

Mesa State College used to be in Grand Junction, Colorado. That's just weird. They had to rename it because everyone assumed that Mesa State would be in Arizona or something. Now it's Colorado Mesa University which is better but not great.

And no, it's not on a mesa. But you can see one. And it's in Mesa County.

T.J. wrote: They shouldv'e named the city New York and the state New Yorkshire or sonething like that. Or even better, just stuck with New Amsterdam.

Why they changed it, I can't say

(People just liked it better that way)

pinchvalve wrote: Ever notice that when entering a full address, you enter New York, NY. But when mentioning the city, you always add the "city" at the end. Q: What's your favorite large metropolitan area? A: New York City

I'd disagree slightly about always adding city to the end in the case of New York. I'm not sure it gets added all that often when the context of a big city is established. I feel like it most often pops up when it helps with disambiguation:

"What's your favorite large metropolitan area?"

"New York."

"Where are you going next week?"

"New York City."

But what do I know?

The thing I find amusing about it is how "Upstate" seems to mean anything outside the City. My brother lives South of Albany, North of Poughkeepsie, and to someone from New York City, his area is an absolute hinterland...but New York State is huuuuuge, and when viewed from Plattsburgh or Rochester, or any one of about a zillion other places in New York, he isn't really that far from the city.

The perspective involved in upstate New York reminds me of the way "Northern California" means just about anything that isn't LA or San Diego. I live North of California, and used to go to Morgan Hill on occasion, which requires driving through roughly SIX HOURS worth of California to get there, and probably isn't too far from the middle of the state geographically...and then hear people who lived a mere four hours further south talk about how it was "Northern" California.

Because it's too big to be a village?