Sixth borough explained

The term sixth borough is used to describe any of a number of places that are not politically within the borders of any of the five boroughs of New York City but have been referred to as a metaphorical part of the city by virtue of their geographic location, demographic composition, special affiliation with New York City, or cosmopolitan character. They include adjacent cities and counties in the New York metropolitan area as well as in other states, U.S. territories, and foreign countries.[1] [2] [3]

Within the New York metropolitan area

Historical proposals

The Westchester County cities of Yonkers and Mount Vernon directly border the northern part of the Bronx and share much of that borough's heavily urbanized character. In 1894, the voters of Yonkers and Mount Vernon, along with voters in other parts of southern Westchester, took part in a referendum to determine if they wanted to become part of New York City, along with the voters in Kings, Queens and Richmond Counties (today's Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island, respectively). At that time, the city consisted only of Manhattan and a portion of the present-day Bronx, which had been part of Westchester until it became part of New York City in 1874. While the results of the 1894 vote were positive elsewhere, including in several other adjacent sections of Westchester, which were then annexed to the city and which thus became part of the new borough of the Bronx, the returns were so negative in Yonkers and Mount Vernon that those two areas were not included in the consolidated city and remained independent municipalities.[4] A subway connection was planned between Getty Square in downtown Yonkers and the New York City Subway, but the project was abandoned after the failed merger vote. Local residents frequently refer to the area as "the sixth borough", referring to the two cities' location bordering the Bronx, the high number of local residents employed in Manhattan, and the area's similarly urban character.

In 1934, a bill submitted by New York City alderman Elias H. Jacobs proposed merging Yonkers into New York City as a sixth borough. Joseph F. Loehr, then Mayor of Yonkers, was opposed to the merger, despite Jacobs's argument that such a maneuver would cause a rise in real estate prices and increase quality of transit.[5]

Hudson Waterfront

New Jersey's Hudson Waterfront lies opposite Manhattan on the North River, and during the Dutch colonial era, it was under the jurisdiction of New Amsterdam and known as Bergen. Jersey City[6] and Hoboken, in Hudson County, are sometimes referred to as the sixth borough, given their proximity and connections by PATH trains to the city.[7] Fort Lee, in Bergen County, opposite Upper Manhattan and connected by the George Washington Bridge, has also been called the sixth borough.[8] In the 1920s, soon after the creation of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, there were calls to integrate the rail and subway system in New York and northern New Jersey by expanding the New York City Subway.[9] After Mayor Bloomberg called for the 7 Subway Extension to continue to Secaucus Junction, a feasibility study was conducted and released in April 2013.[10]

Waterways and islands

In 2011, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg referred to the city's waterfront and waterways as a composite sixth borough during presentations of planned rehabilitation projects along the city's shoreline,[11] including Governors Island in the Upper New York Bay.[12] Other individuals have also referred to the city's waterways as a sixth borough.[13] Rikers Island has been called the sixth borough as well.

Several 20th- and 21st-century proposals have been made for a drastic Lower Manhattan expansion encompassing Governors Island, and have sometimes been characterized as visions for a "sixth borough".[14]

Other communities within the New York metropolitan area

Other communities within the New York City Consolidated Statistical Area have often been referred to as sixth boroughs, especially diverse urban centers such as Stamford[15] and New Haven.[16] Historically, these nearby cities have drawn in significant populations from New York City through outmigration and also share similar cultural characteristics with the city, such as disproportionately large Italian and Jewish American populations.

Outside the New York metropolitan area

Places outside the New York metropolitan area that are home to large populations of former New Yorkers have also been referred to as the "sixth borough", including Philadelphia;[17] [18] Miami, and South Florida in general;[19] Los Angeles;[20] and, outside the continental U.S., Puerto Rico[21] and Israel.[1] Among those places referred to as a sixth borough are locations as diverse as Beverly Hills, California, and Nashville, Tennessee.

Philadelphia

Philadelphia has been cited as a "sixth borough" due to its proximity to New York and the movement of New York residents to Philadelphia for various reasons, including lower rent prices and a generally lower cost of living.[22] The nickname has been met with apprehension by both Philadelphia and New York publications.[23] Some have even disputed inaccurate reporting about Philadelphia by New York–based reporters.[24]

China

Foreign countries, such as China, have also been referred to as a "sixth borough." In China's instance, it is referred to as the "sixth borough" by some media because many Chinese companies invest in developments in Brooklyn, such as Pacific Park.[25]

Other uses

Manhattan College, located in Riverdale, Bronx, refers to its Jaspers student cheering section as "The 6th Borough" at home basketball games played in Draddy Gymnasium.[26] In addition, the University of Connecticut (UConn) has often promoted its Huskies sports teams, especially in men's basketball, as "the Sixth Borough", given the dominance of that team in games played at Madison Square Garden.[27] UConn also sells a T-shirt making this claim.[28]

Jonathan Safran Foer published a short story about a fictional sixth borough, an island that gradually floated away. The story was featured in his novel Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.[29]

A parallel concept in France is the "21st arrondissement of Paris",[30] while in the United Kingdom, the City of London is sometimes thought of as the "33rd borough of London", although it is not, strictly speaking, a borough.[31]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Popik . Barry . Sixth Borough (Yonkers, Scarsdale, Fort Lee, Jersey City, Hoboken, Nassau County, Rockland County) . The Big Apple . January 24, 2006 . May 29, 2023.
    • Web site: Walker . Ken . That Mythical Sixth Borough . Daily Newarker . May 10, 2007 . May 1, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131005210206/http://dailynewarker.com/2007/05/that-mythical-sixth-borough/ . October 5, 2013 . unfit. * Web site: Carlsen . Jen . Poll: Where is New York's 6th Borough? . Gothamist . December 10, 2010 . May 1, 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140902131133/http://gothamist.com/2010/12/03/poll_new_yorks_6th_borough.php . September 2, 2014 . mdy-all.
  3. Web site: The 32 Sixth Boroughs of New York City, According to the 'Times,' in Order from Worst to Best . December 19, 2014.
  4. 177–178.
  5. News: 1934-11-03 . Adding of Yonkers to City is Sought; Alderman Jacobs Says He Will Present Bill Seeking Merger as a Sixth Borough. . limited . The New York Times . 2022-07-30 . 0362-4331. Merging the city of Yonkers with New York City as a sixth borough was proposed last night by Alderman Elias H. Jacobs, Washington Heights Democrat, who said he would introduce a local bill in the Board of Aldermen branch of the Municipal Assembly at its next meeting on Nov. 13.. July 23, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180723214532/https://www.nytimes.com/1934/11/03/archives/adding-of-yonkers-to-city-is-sought-alderman-jacobs-says-he-will.html. live.
  6. News: Chen . Stefanos . 2022-07-28 . Which City Is Most Expensive for Renters? You Might Be Surprised. . en-US . The New York Times . 2022-07-30 . 0362-4331. July 30, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220730122019/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/28/realestate/which-city-is-most-expensive-for-renters-you-might-be-surprised.html. live.
  7. News: Fetters . Ashley . 2020-10-16 . They Loved N.Y.C. but Lived in Jersey. The Pandemic Changed That. . en-US . The New York Times . 2022-07-30 . 0362-4331.
    News: Strunsky . Steve . 2001-12-09 . CITIES; Bright Lights, Big Retail . en-US . The New York Times . 2022-07-30 . 0362-4331.
    News: Holusha . John . 1998-10-11 . Commercial Property / The Jersey Riverfront; On the Hudson's West Bank, Optimistic Developers . en-US . The New York Times . 2022-07-30 . 0362-4331.
    News: Belson . Ken . 2007-05-21 . In Stamford, a Plan to Rebuild an Area and Build an Advantage . en-US . The New York Times . 2022-07-30 . 0362-4331.
    Web site: Olear . Greg . A good look at Hoboken - The Sixth Borough . CooperatorNews New York . Yale Robbins . December 2002 . May 1, 2013. Hoboken will likely continue to grow and prosper, rivaling official boroughs like Queens and Brooklyn and living up to its nickname, 'The Sixth Borough.' .
  8. News: Lefkowitz . Melanie . 2011-04-30 . Bergen County's Fort Lee: Town With a View . en-US . Wall Street Journal . 2022-07-30 . 0099-9660.
    Web site: Fort Lee grapples with questions on future development . Linh Tat . North Jersey Media Group Inc. . June 12, 2012 . September 16, 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130723060351/http://www.northjersey.com/fortlee/Fort_Lee.html . July 23, 2013 . mdy-all.
    News: Haller . Vera . 2012-09-07 . Close to the City, but With a Life of Its Own . en-US . The New York Times . 2022-07-30 . 0362-4331.
    Web site: The Best of Both Worlds - Picturing a New Future for Fort Lee. Olear. Greg. August 2006. CooperatorNews New Jersey. Yale Robbins. July 28, 2023. 'We call ourselves the Sixth Borough,' Chen says..
  9. Transportation for Greater New York (1920) . Electric Railway Journal . 56 . 22 . 1095–1106 . November 27, 1920 . May 21, 2013.
    The New Jersey Commuter in New York Subway . Electric Railway Journal . 58 . 27 . 1151–1152 . December 31, 1921 . May 21, 2013.
  10. Parsons Brinckerhoff . No. 7 Secaucus Extension Feasibility Analysis Final Report . NYCEDC . April 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170916175545/http://www.nycedc.com/sites/default/files/filemanager/Resources/Studies/No_7_Secaucus_Extension_Final_Report_April_2013.pdf . September 16, 2017 . dead . PDF.
    News: Frasinelli . Mike . Plan to extend No. 7 subway from NYC to New Jersey could be back on track . The Star-Ledger . April 10, 2013 . April 10, 2013.
    News: Rouse . Karen . Report: Extending NY No. 7 subway line to Secaucus would accommodate commuter demand . The Record . April 10, 2013 . April 10, 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130413011350/http://www.northjersey.com/news/NY_No_7_Subway_to_Secaucus.html . April 13, 2013 . mdy-all.
  11. Mayor Bloomberg and Speaker Quinn Unveil Comprehensive Plan for New York city's Waterfront and Waterways . NYCEDC . March 14, 2011 . May 1, 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130314083046/http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/about/pr031411.shtml . March 14, 2013 . mdy-all.
    Web site: Rovzar . Chris . Mayor Bloomberg Attempts to Rebrand the 'Sixth Borough' . New York Magazine . March 14, 2011 . November 28, 2012.
    News: Mainland . Alex . A Blog for the 'Sixth Borough' . The New York Times . February 18, 2011 . May 1, 2013.
    News: Yeh . Richard . City Reclaims Waterfront as 'Sixth Borough' . WNYC . March 14, 2011 . May 1, 2013 . dead . https://archive.today/20130615191632/http://www.wnyc.org/blogs/wnyc-news-blog/2011/mar/14/city-reclaim-its-waterfront-assets-sixth-borough/ . June 15, 2013 . mdy-all.
    Web site: Sixth Borough Stories from New York's Waterfront . Columbia School of Journalism . 2011 . May 1, 2013 . The sixth borough. That's what Mayor Bloomberg calls the 578 miles of shore land that encircle the five boroughs of New York City..
    Web site: Cunningham . Ryan A. . Metropolis Magazine . Will NYC have a 6th Borough? . January 22, 2012 . May 1, 2013.
  12. Web site: Studio Report The Speculation Studio: Governors Island, The Sixth Borough? . Urban Omnibus . January 11, 2012 . May 1, 2013.
  13. News: Finn . Robin . 2012-07-20 . Who You Calling Gritty? . en-US . The New York Times . 2022-07-30 . 0362-4331.
    Web site: New York Online; Where to Point Your Browser . Mainland . Alexis . February 20, 2011 . The New York Times . July 17, 2016.
  14. Book: Harmon, Katharine . You Are Here: NYC: Mapping the Soul of the City . 2016-11-01 . Chronicle Books . 978-1-61689-549-5 . en.
    Web site: Let's Build a New Borough . Methven . John . August 11, 2011 . The Awl . July 15, 2016.
    News: Barr . Jason M. . 2022-01-14 . Opinion | 1,760 Acres. That's How Much More of Manhattan We Need. . en-US . The New York Times . 2022-07-30 . 0362-4331.
  15. Web site: Building & Land Technology | Real Estate Developer, Owner & Operator .
  16. Web site: Business New Haven January 2015 by Second Wind Media Ltd - Issuu . August 16, 2015 .
  17. Web site: Carlson . Jen . Sixth Borough Stealing NYC Residents . Gothamist . November 28, 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110412160523/http://gothamist.com/2010/10/06/sixth_borough_stealing_nyc_resident.php . April 12, 2011 . mdy-all.
  18. News: Pressler . Jessica . Philadelphia Story: The Next Borough . The New York Times . August 14, 2005 . March 26, 2016.
  19. Web site: Sixth Borough.
  20. Web site: Sicha . Choire . The 32 Sixth Boroughs of New York City, According to the 'Times,' in Order from Worst to Best . The Awl . November 21, 2012 . July 30, 2022.
  21. Web site: Bergin . Brigid . 2022-10-01 . The People's Guide to Power preview: NY, Puerto Rico and the power of the "sixth borough" . 2022-10-02 . Gothamist . en.
  22. News: Gabriel . Trip . 2013-12-16 . A Grand Weekend Out for Pennsylvanians . en-US . The New York Times . 2022-07-30 . 0362-4331.
    News: Taylor . Kate . 2013-07-31 . It's Time to Vote for a Sticker on Voting . en-US . The New York Times . 2022-07-30 . 0362-4331.
    Web site: Troubles in Philly, Lessons for New York? . Goodman . J. David . December 1, 2009 . The New York Times . July 15, 2016.
    Web site: On the Question of Cheese Steaks . Sifton . Sam . October 29, 2009 . The New York Times . July 15, 2016.
    News: Flegenheimer . Matt . 2014-11-24 . D.N.C. Picks New York City as a Finalist for Its 2016 Convention . en-US . The New York Times . 2022-07-30 . 0362-4331.
  23. Web site: Philly Loses Imaginary Sixth-Borough Status . July 15, 2005 . Gawker . July 17, 2016 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160817001206/http://gawker.com/118232/philly-loses-imaginary-sixth-borough-status . August 17, 2016 . mdy-all.
    Web site: The New York Times Still Thinks We're the Sixth Borough. Van Zuylen-Wood . Simon . December 16, 2013 . Philadelphia Magazine . July 16, 2016 .
    What The New York Times Gets Wrong About Philadelphia . McQuade . Dan . February 13, 2013 . Philadelphia Magazine . July 16, 2016.
    Philly to Become NYC's Seventh Borough? . Scoop . March 14, 2011 . Philadelphia Magazine . July 16, 2016.
  24. Web site: Hip To Be Square . Rubin . Daniel . August 18, 2015 . The Philadelphia Inquirer . July 16, 2016.
  25. Web site: Brooklyn businesses head for the sixth borough: China . Hawkins . Andrew J. . April 30, 2015 . Crain's New York . July 17, 2016.
  26. Web site: STUDENT ACTIVITIES . Manhattan College Student Activities . November 13, 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20151117030557/https://manhattan.edu/student_life/student-activities . November 17, 2015 . mdy-all.
  27. Web site: UConn's Ticket To Power Five Conference Goes Through New York . Jeff . Jacobs . . January 5, 2016 . January 26, 2016.
  28. Web site: Sixth Borough Shirt . Husky Fan Shop . January 26, 2016 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160203062114/http://huskiesfanshop.com/g500_sixth_borough_tee_black.html . February 3, 2016 . mdy-all.
  29. News: Foer . Jonathan Safran . 2004-09-17 . Opinion | The Sixth Borough . en-US . The New York Times . 2022-07-30 . 0362-4331.
  30. News: 2020-03-08 . A la recherche du 21e arrondissement de Paris . fr . Le Monde.fr . 2021-06-08.
  31. Web site: The 33 London Boroughs . London Town . 21 July 2021.

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