Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Do You Refer To Manhattan As "The City"?
By
Jen Carlson
Published May 21, 2012
Modified May 21, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Carlson
Published May 21, 2012
Modified May 21, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Recently a friend residing in Williamsburg said he was going to "the city" for the evening—meaning, of course, Manhattan—which raised some eyebrows when the terminology was brought to the table at Gothamist HQ.
According to some fast and loose corners of The Internet, the reason that some people call it "the city" is that "Manhattan is the center of New York City and the New York metropolitan region, hosting the seat of city government and a large portion of the area's employment, business, and entertainment activities," and therefore residents of the other four boroughs sometimes "refer to a trip to Manhattan as 'going to the city,' despite the comparable populations between those boroughs."
The Gothamist office is nearly split—a quick raise of hands showed that out of the 9 people who participated in our scientific poll, 4 admitted to calling Manhattan "the city." In one corner, we have John Del Signore (who hails from the Albany area) arguing, "We are ALL the city, even those of us who reside in Staten Island, but elitist real estate masterminds have succeeded in convincing New Yorkers of Manhattan's pseudo-significance. I, for one, refuse to submit to the soft bigotry of Manhattan exceptionalism, and have never hesitated to correct anyone who insults New York City's other four boroughs by mislabeling that arrogant little overpriced island across from New Jersey as 'the city.' This is probably why I have so few friends. That, and what some people have mislabeled 'pretentiousness.'"
Representing those who deem Manhattan "the city" is Jake Dobkin (a native New Yorker, raised in Brooklyn), who says: "I disagree with John. I think we outer-borough residents call Manhattan 'the city' as a way of separating ourselves from its hegemony—as a way of repudiating its values of consumerism and celebrity. We, the everymen and women of Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island, have much in common with our rural forebears, in that we think of Manhattan as a boiling cesspit of disease and despair, surely a product of Satan that we refuse to associate ourselves with."
Tagged
manhattan
poll
the city
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
Ever wish you could get paid to walk through a stranger’s house? ‘The Scout’ is for you.
A new film focuses on the strange career of a location scout in New York City.
By
Sonia Rao
Published Sep 26, 2026
There are 100s of places to visit during Open House New York. Here's 5 of our favorites.
See the entire lineup for the weekend when the city opens its doors.
By
Hannah Frishberg
Arts & Entertainment
There are 100s of places to visit during Open House New York. Here's 5 of our favorites.
See the entire lineup for the weekend when the city opens its doors.
By
Hannah Frishberg
A massive MTA archive ended up in a Virginia warehouse. A Brooklyn man brought it home.
By
Hannah Frishberg
How a Harry Styles pop-up in the East Village led to a nearby bookstore owner's arrest
By
Sonia Rao
NYC’s creative workers are increasingly self-employed, report says
By
Hannah Frishberg
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .