# Think of a city in the United States (that isn't New York City) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 22, 2015, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/think-of-a-city-in-the-united-states-that-isnt-new-york-city/738299 "2015-11-22T19:44:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2015, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/think-of-a-city-in-the-united-states-that-isnt-new-york-city/738299/21 "2015-11-23T14:00:43Z")
Salt Lake because I’m from there. ---
**Author:** ![Sangahyando](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f14d63/32.png) [@Sangahyando](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sangahyando)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2015, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/think-of-a-city-in-the-united-states-that-isnt-new-york-city/738299/22 "2015-11-23T17:42:16Z")
With – if I understand rightly – it being accepted and often done, that almost any settlement in the US may be called a “city”: I’m going for Monroeville, Alabama. The real-life “Maycomb” of Harper Lee’s _To Kill a Mockingbird_ and its prequel / sequel / whatever, both of which I’ve recently been reading. ---
**Author:** ![CoastalMaineiac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e8c25b/32.png) [@CoastalMaineiac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CoastalMaineiac)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2015, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/think-of-a-city-in-the-united-states-that-isnt-new-york-city/738299/23 "2015-11-23T17:58:24Z")
> [@Mr.Kobayashi](#): > > Oh, you knew this one was coming. Pretty much as the title - what’s the first American city that pops into your head, or the second if the Big Apple comes to mind first? > > Included the next 30 most populous, according to [wiki](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_cities_by_population). > > I’ve been playing the hell out of Fallout 4 so it’s Boston for me. Bangor, Maine, a city about 45 minutes from home, and the closest “real” city with city-like amenities (malls, box stores, and the like). Thanks to [Roger Miller](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmOe27SJ3Yc), it is probably the most [mispronounced](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_q9hAAIS-c) city in the U.S.A. ---
**Author:** ![Sr\_Siete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@Sr\_Siete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sr_Siete)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2015, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/think-of-a-city-in-the-united-states-that-isnt-new-york-city/738299/24 "2015-11-23T18:14:51Z")
Maybe the list should be alphabetical? ---
**Author:** ![Dragwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dragwyr/32/2855_2.png) [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2015, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/think-of-a-city-in-the-united-states-that-isnt-new-york-city/738299/25 "2015-11-23T18:18:23Z")
Minneapolis, MN. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2015, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/think-of-a-city-in-the-united-states-that-isnt-new-york-city/738299/26 "2015-11-23T18:21:03Z")
Buffalo, since New York was in the question. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2015, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/think-of-a-city-in-the-united-states-that-isnt-new-york-city/738299/27 "2015-11-23T19:51:08Z")
> [@CoastalMaineiac](#): > > Bangor, Maine, a city about 45 minutes from home, and the closest “real” city with city-like amenities (malls, box stores, and the like). Thanks to [Roger Miller](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmOe27SJ3Yc), it is probably the most [mispronounced](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_q9hAAIS-c) city in the U.S.A. Ever since I’ve was a wee WOOK reading Stephen King I’ve pronounced it in my head as BANGor. Is the accent supposed to be on the second syllable or are they just singing it that way to make it fit the song? How else would one pronounce it? ---
**Author:** ![somepumpkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@somepumpkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/somepumpkin)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2015, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/think-of-a-city-in-the-united-states-that-isnt-new-york-city/738299/28 "2015-11-23T20:27:26Z")
> [@Rushgeekgirl](#): > > My hometown popped in to my head first. Memphis, TN. Same here; the first city I experienced. I still use it as my \*yardstick \*when visiting other places on that list, however silly that may be. ---
**Author:** ![Cyros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a698b9/32.png) [@Cyros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyros)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2015, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/think-of-a-city-in-the-united-states-that-isnt-new-york-city/738299/29 "2015-11-23T20:34:21Z")
Colorado Springs, CO. I lived there for 2 years when I was a teenager. ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/think-of-a-city-in-the-united-states-that-isnt-new-york-city/738299/30 "2015-11-24T00:45:07Z")
Atlanta, because I live there. Next up was chattanooga, since that’s where I am at the moment. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/think-of-a-city-in-the-united-states-that-isnt-new-york-city/738299/31 "2015-11-24T01:00:36Z")
Washington, DC, of course, since it’s the capital. After that, probably Chicago, LA, and Houston, and maybe Philadelphia, just by virtue of their size. Only after the biggies would I name my hometown of Cleveland. This is probably influenced by Civ games, even though I never play as America. ---
**Author:** ![PapSett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@PapSett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PapSett)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/think-of-a-city-in-the-united-states-that-isnt-new-york-city/738299/32 "2015-11-24T23:20:14Z")
Orlando FL. I don’t know why. Haven’t been there in many years, but that’s what popped in my mind. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2015, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/think-of-a-city-in-the-united-states-that-isnt-new-york-city/738299/33 "2015-11-25T00:47:33Z")
> [@CoastalMaineiac](#): > > Bangor, Maine, a city about 45 minutes from home Bangor? I didn’t even _kiss_ 'er. (Yeah, you knew SOMEONE was going to say it) Do you live in Ellsworth, or on MDI? I am SO envious! ---
**Author:** ![Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Springtime_for_Spacers)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2015, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/think-of-a-city-in-the-united-states-that-isnt-new-york-city/738299/34 "2015-11-25T02:47:10Z")
My brain wasn’t cooperating with the thread premise so it came up with Manchester, the UK one. I don’t know if y’all have a Manchester but I do know there’s a Birmingham, Alabama so there it was 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![CoastalMaineiac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e8c25b/32.png) [@CoastalMaineiac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CoastalMaineiac)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2015, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/think-of-a-city-in-the-united-states-that-isnt-new-york-city/738299/35 "2015-11-25T05:17:20Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > Ever since I’ve was a wee WOOK reading Stephen King I’ve pronounced it in my head as BANGor. Is the accent supposed to be on the second syllable or are they just singing it that way to make it fit the song? How else would one pronounce it? Most of us pronounce it with the accent on the first syllable. > [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > Bangor? > > I didn’t even _kiss_ 'er. > > (Yeah, you knew SOMEONE was going to say it) > > Do you live in Ellsworth, or on MDI? I am SO envious! I don’t live in that area, but I can get to either Ellsworth or Bangor in around 40 to 50 minutes. There’s certainly no need to be envious. My car’s thermometer registered 18° Fahrenheit on my way home from work tonight. Brr! ---
**Author:** ![The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_wind_of_my_soul)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2015, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/think-of-a-city-in-the-united-states-that-isnt-new-york-city/738299/36 "2015-11-25T16:29:26Z")
I live in the DC area, so according to logic I probably should have chosen Washington, DC. I chose Philadelphia. No idea why. ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2015, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/think-of-a-city-in-the-united-states-that-isnt-new-york-city/738299/37 "2015-11-25T16:40:36Z")
I live in central Jersey, smack between two big cities: NY and Philadelphia. So Philly it is. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2015, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/think-of-a-city-in-the-united-states-that-isnt-new-york-city/738299/38 "2015-11-25T17:50:34Z")
Atlanta, GA as the one time I went to the US was to work there for two months on a project. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2015, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/think-of-a-city-in-the-united-states-that-isnt-new-york-city/738299/39 "2015-11-25T18:32:08Z")
Orlando ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2015, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/think-of-a-city-in-the-united-states-that-isnt-new-york-city/738299/40 "2015-11-25T18:58:31Z")
> [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](#): > > My brain wasn’t cooperating with the thread premise so it came up with Manchester, the UK one. I don’t know if y’all have a Manchester but I do know there’s a Birmingham, Alabama so there it was 🙂 There’s Manchester’s all over the place in America, including the [largest city in New Hampshire](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchester,_New_Hampshire) apparently. > [@Sr\_Siete](#): > > Maybe the list should be alphabetical? They’re in order of population size, to see if there’s any correlation between size and memorability. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/think-of-a-city-in-the-united-states-that-isnt-new-york-city/738299.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/think-of-a-city-in-the-united-states-that-isnt-new-york-city/738299.md?page=3)