Comments on: The city across the river http://secondavenuesagas.com/2008/09/12/the-city-across-the-river/ A New York City Subway Blog Sun, 12 Feb 2012 23:51:31 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Alon Levy http://secondavenuesagas.com/2008/09/12/the-city-across-the-river/#comment-49440 Alon Levy Sun, 14 Sep 2008 06:32:13 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/?p=1330#comment-49440 I never use the term "the city" to refer to Manhattan. However, my girlfriend, who grew up in the Bronx and in Dobbs Ferry and now lives in Harlem, sometimes uses "the city" to refer to Manhattan south of Harlem. I never use the term “the city” to refer to Manhattan. However, my girlfriend, who grew up in the Bronx and in Dobbs Ferry and now lives in Harlem, sometimes uses “the city” to refer to Manhattan south of Harlem.

]]> By: Nick http://secondavenuesagas.com/2008/09/12/the-city-across-the-river/#comment-49273 Nick Fri, 12 Sep 2008 20:28:16 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/?p=1330#comment-49273 IIRC, that's mostly because Brooklyn always had a more cohesive feel (even considering that a lot of Brooklyn neighborhoods didn't even become a part of "Brooklyn" until the late 19th Century. Queens, on the other hand, didn't have any sort of unifying municipal structure until the 1898 consolidation, so it was basically still just a bunch of villages crammed together (which is why the street grid can be so wacky). I guess it makes sense to still call Manhattan "the city" when you consider that it was the City in an official sense for longer than the five boroughs have existed. Perhaps, in the same way the Hudson is no longer thought of as the North River, "the city" will fade away after another generation passes. IIRC, that’s mostly because Brooklyn always had a more cohesive feel (even considering that a lot of Brooklyn neighborhoods didn’t even become a part of “Brooklyn” until the late 19th Century. Queens, on the other hand, didn’t have any sort of unifying municipal structure until the 1898 consolidation, so it was basically still just a bunch of villages crammed together (which is why the street grid can be so wacky).

I guess it makes sense to still call Manhattan “the city” when you consider that it was the City in an official sense for longer than the five boroughs have existed. Perhaps, in the same way the Hudson is no longer thought of as the North River, “the city” will fade away after another generation passes.

]]> By: Boris http://secondavenuesagas.com/2008/09/12/the-city-across-the-river/#comment-49262 Boris Fri, 12 Sep 2008 18:34:33 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/?p=1330#comment-49262 It's consistent, in spirit, with the USPS practice of using "New York, NY" to refer to the borough of Manhattan. But then again, I never understood why one can address a letter to Astoria, NY, but not to Bay Ridge, NY, so I don't claim that the USPS way makes complete sense. It’s consistent, in spirit, with the USPS practice of using “New York, NY” to refer to the borough of Manhattan. But then again, I never understood why one can address a letter to Astoria, NY, but not to Bay Ridge, NY, so I don’t claim that the USPS way makes complete sense.

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