# What is the difference between New York, New York State and Newark? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 10, 2011, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-new-york-new-york-state-and-newark/595804 "2011-09-10T06:30:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-new-york-new-york-state-and-newark/595804/61 "2011-09-11T11:04:44Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > They are separate cities according to the meaning of “city” under the law of the State of New York. They might not be separate cities under some other definition. Is there a particular definition you had in mind? Eh, I’ve just never really seen the difference unless you put about 30 miles of desert (or other local topography) between them. It just doesn’t feel like you’re going from town to town or city to city to me. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-new-york-new-york-state-and-newark/595804/62 "2011-09-11T13:03:53Z")
> [@DHMO](#): > > You never thought it odd that the American and the Canadian sides of Niagara Falls abut, on either side of the waterway between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, and can be accessed from the American side in upstate New York, near Buffalo? Call me crazy, but the geography of the Niagara Falls doesn’t figure into my thoughts very often. I blame living on the opposite side of the planet and having better things to do with my life. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-new-york-new-york-state-and-newark/595804/63 "2011-09-11T13:04:27Z")
> [@asterion](#): > > Eh, I’ve just never really seen the difference unless you put about 30 miles of desert (or other local topography) between them. It just doesn’t feel like you’re going from town to town or city to city to me. Do you see how your comment is a non sequitur to Mika’s? ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-new-york-new-york-state-and-newark/595804/64 "2011-09-11T13:56:34Z")
O.K., Crawlspace, so Wikipedia gives two different values for the population density of Manhattan, one in the article about Manhattan (that you have cited) and another in the article about the most densely populated cities in the world (that I have cited). Which is correct? Also, what other cities of the world also have a considerably greater population during the day when they are filled with commuters and tourists, and how does Manhattan’s population density compare with them? ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-new-york-new-york-state-and-newark/595804/65 "2011-09-11T15:08:07Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Honestly, I read that last sentence as “some of us take our moms down to the Big City and sell them to vintage stores for big bucks.” > > I bet that would work even better! 😛 What, to work in the vintage store basement sweatshops, laundering and ironing? I would get a better price for their old duds - too many moms, not enough retro outfits! ---
**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:** [September 11, 2011, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-new-york-new-york-state-and-newark/595804/66 "2011-09-11T18:10:49Z")
So, how far do you have to travel from Manhattan to get to a Sears store to buy a gingham dress? And how long does it take you to drive that distance? ---
**Author:** ![Philliam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/philliam/32/3011_2.png) [@Philliam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philliam)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-new-york-new-york-state-and-newark/595804/67 "2011-09-11T18:17:24Z")
> [@CheeseDonkey](#): > > There is also an Egypt, Mexico, Cuba and Jamaica, New York. And there used to be a Russia, though now the original village site, I believe, is part of a reservoir. My grandfather was born there in 1880. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-new-york-new-york-state-and-newark/595804/68 "2011-09-11T18:35:10Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > I was surprised to learn recently that New York State borders Canada. That seems counter-intuitive, until you see how big an area the State actually has. I grew up in New York, 20 minutes from Canada, by Niagara Falls. We would to Canada on a whim for shopping, meals and to buy cheap gas, in the 1980s. ---
**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:** [September 11, 2011, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-new-york-new-york-state-and-newark/595804/69 "2011-09-11T19:33:01Z")
There was a time in the 80s when gas was cheaper in Canada? As of the early 90s, it was about twice as expensive as in the US. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-new-york-new-york-state-and-newark/595804/70 "2011-09-11T19:46:49Z")
> [@Philliam](#): > > And there used to be a Russia, though now the original village site, I believe, is part of a reservoir. My grandfather was born there in 1880. [Russia is still there](http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Russia,+NY&hl=en&ll=43.258706,-75.08194&spn=0.120515,0.21801&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=33.572881,55.810547&vpsrc=6&t=m&z=12), northwest of Poland. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-new-york-new-york-state-and-newark/595804/71 "2011-09-11T20:20:39Z")
There’s also a Sweden, New York. Ironically, it’s a couple hundred miles away from Stockholm, New York. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-new-york-new-york-state-and-newark/595804/72 "2011-09-11T20:30:41Z")
> [@CheeseDonkey](#): > > That’s a common misconception about Newark, New York. Most people think, due to its size and population, that it is its own town. > > It is merely a village, however, in Arcadia, which is in Wayne County. I’m American, and I don’t at all understand what you just said. Aren’t there just counties, then incorporated towns? How do you have a village within a town within a county? ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-new-york-new-york-state-and-newark/595804/73 "2011-09-11T20:32:17Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > So, how far do you have to travel from Manhattan to get to a Sears store to buy a gingham dress? And how long does it take you to drive that distance? Not far at all, There is a Sears store right inside Manhattan, on Varick street. Also one in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn. As for a gingham dress, if Sears still carries it, than any Sears store should be able to get it for you. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-new-york-new-york-state-and-newark/595804/74 "2011-09-11T20:46:54Z")
> [@bump](#): > > I’m American, and I don’t at all understand what you just said. Aren’t there just counties, then incorporated towns? How do you have a village within a town within a county? In New York, counties are filled with towns and cities. Towns may additionally have villages within them. Villages provide a third layer of municipal government where more localized services can be provided. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-new-york-new-york-state-and-newark/595804/75 "2011-09-11T20:50:38Z")
> [@bump](#): > > I’m American, and I don’t at all understand what you just said. Aren’t there just counties, then incorporated towns? How do you have a village within a town within a county? In your state, maybe. It differs from state to state. Some states have townships below the the county level for unincorporated areas. From the wiki article on “village”: > [@](#): > > In twenty[21] U.S. states, the term “village” refers to a specific form of incorporated municipal government, similar to a city but with less authority and geographic scope. However, this is a generality; in many states, there are villages that are an order of magnitude larger than the smallest cities in the state. The distinction is not necessarily based on population, but on the relative powers granted to the different types of municipalities and correspondingly, different obligations to provide specific services to residents. > > **In some states such as New York, Wisconsin, or Michigan, a village is an incorporated municipality, usually, but not always, within a single town or civil township.** Residents pay taxes to the village and town or township and may vote in elections for both as well. In some cases, the village may be coterminous with the town or township. There are also many villages which span the boundaries of more than one town or township, and some villages may even straddle county borders. Bolding mine. ---
**Author:** ![standingwave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@standingwave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/standingwave)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-new-york-new-york-state-and-newark/595804/76 "2011-09-11T21:58:44Z")
> [@anson2995](#): > > Manhattan is also pretty small, about 23 square miles. Which makes [Central Park](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b1/26_-_New_York_-_Octobre_2008.jpg/800px-26_-_New_York_-_Octobre_2008.jpg) with its 800+ acres all the more remarkable what with land being at such a premium. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-new-york-new-york-state-and-newark/595804/77 "2011-09-11T22:06:31Z")
> [@bump](#): > > I’m American, and I don’t at all understand what you just said. Aren’t there just counties, then incorporated towns? How do you have a village within a town within a county? I grew up in the State of New York, Erie County, Town of Amherst, Village of Williasmsville. Our village had 4 elementary schools, 3 middle schools and 3 high schools, so it wasn’t some little area. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-new-york-new-york-state-and-newark/595804/78 "2011-09-11T22:55:04Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > I grew up in the State of New York, Erie County, Town of Amherst, Village of Williasmsville. Our village had 4 elementary schools, 3 middle schools and 3 high schools, so it wasn’t some little area. This is why this really isn’t an issue that a non-American needs to understand at all. In Ohio, the only possible combinations are: 1. A Township, B County 2. A (City or Village, but not both), B Township, C County 3. A (City or Village, but not both), C County > [@zamboniracer](#): > > And just to add to the confusion, when it comes to American professional tackle football, both the New York Jets and New York Giants play their home games at a stadium located in the state of New Jersey. To someone at the level of the OP and other non-Americans, this isn’t an issue at all. If you don’t know the difference between the State of New York, the City of New York, and the City of Newark, New Jersey, then where the Jets and the Giants’ home field is located is way beyond any relevant level of detail. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-new-york-new-york-state-and-newark/595804/79 "2011-09-11T23:10:40Z")
> [@Namkcalb](#): > > New Jersey It’s probably best if you just try to forget New Jersey. ---
**Author:** ![anson2995](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@anson2995](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anson2995)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-new-york-new-york-state-and-newark/595804/80 "2011-09-11T23:56:55Z")
> [@Crawlspace](#): > > It is one of the most densely populated places on earth though. The difference even between Brooklyn and Manhattan is staggering. I think that’s why just about everyone in the Tri-State area, including New Yorkers, uses the term “The City” to refer to Manhattan only. Agreed, but folks who aren’t from the area tend to think of the other boroughs as minor suburbs of Manhattan. Most are probably surprised to learn there are 7.5 million people living on Long Island. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-new-york-new-york-state-and-newark/595804.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-new-york-new-york-state-and-newark/595804.md?page=5)