New York City is the only city in America (or maybe the world) where people are expected to have a general understanding of the geography in casual conversation.
Like why do I feel like I’m supposed to be able to name the seven boroughs? I can’t tell you anything about L.A., Chicago, Boston, etc.
Edit: to clarify: I mean that everyone in America are expected to know NYC. Not just New Yorkers. Obviously everyone should know the layout of where they live.
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Wait a minute, what?
I've been to a few cities all over Europe, lived in a couple of them for years, and I feel like having a general knowledge of the geography of where you live is a basic requirement of life.
Didn't you play the "capital city game" with friends as a kid?
I mean, it's cool with me if you or anyone has no idea of the layout of your local map, but that's a surprise for sure.
My point is that people in the US are kind of expected to understand the layout of a city that they may never have been to or maybe only visited as a tourist.
It’s only the “local map” for like 8 million of us.
Where are you getting this impression? I've never gotten any sense that anyone outside the city is "expected" to know its geography. "Expected" how?
Also there are only 5 boroughs
See? I do t even know how many boroughs there are!
Yeah, which nobody would "expect" you to if you're not from there
The way the title is worded ("a city where people are expected..") implies this is referring to people that live in NY. I'd clarify it by saying something like "the only city of which people from the rest of the country are expected to know..."
Yep. Not what I intended.
Oooowkay! So sorry for my surprised comment. I totally get, and agree with, what you actually said.
Being from not-the-capital-city of my country but living there, I struggled with the uttermost self-centeredness of its inhabitants.
I do think knowing topology and geography of things and places is much more than basic general information. For me it relates to "feeling" a place, and belonging somewhere. But what do I care where the upper east whatever is...
Also, culture production might have something to do with all of this : An open letter to NYC - The Beastie Boys
Only New Yorkers think this way.
How do you know someone's from New York?
Don't worry, they'll tell you.