# What is the unofficial name of your metro area? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 24, 2005, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-unofficial-name-of-your-metro-area/291752 "2005-02-24T19:40:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/47e85d/32.png) [@Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Lance_Murdoch)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-unofficial-name-of-your-metro-area/291752/1 "2005-02-24T19:40:01Z")
The Minneapolis/St. Paul area is The Twin Cities or just The Cities. The Phoenix area is The Valley of the Sun. The Chicago area is Chicagoland. Any others? ---
**Author:** ![PaperBlob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/58956e/32.png) [@PaperBlob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaperBlob)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-unofficial-name-of-your-metro-area/291752/2 "2005-02-24T19:42:06Z")
The Philadelphia area is called the Delaware Valley. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-unofficial-name-of-your-metro-area/291752/3 "2005-02-24T19:46:26Z")
The greater Toronto area is called the, uh, “Greater Toronto Area” (frequently abbreviated as GTA in newspapers and such). If you expand that a bit to take in Hamilton and the communities on the south side of Lake Ontario, you get the “Golden Horseshoe”, but that term isn’t nearly so widely used. (IMHO, it smacks of the kind of naive growth-at-any-cost boosterism that was so common in the Fifties.) ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-unofficial-name-of-your-metro-area/291752/4 "2005-02-24T19:48:15Z")
“Central Ohio” is semi-official for the Columbus metro area, since it’s in the name of some government bodies, e.g., the Central Ohio Transit Authority. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-unofficial-name-of-your-metro-area/291752/5 "2005-02-24T19:54:23Z")
The Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area is called The Triangle. If you expand it to include Greensboro and Winston-Salem, it’s called the Triad. Sometimes this area is also referred to as the Piedmont. I used to live in Virginia Beach, which is part of the Tidewater area (Virginia Beach/Norfolk/Chesapeake/Portsmouth/Hampton/Newport News). It’s also frequently referred to as Hampton Roads. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-unofficial-name-of-your-metro-area/291752/6 "2005-02-24T19:57:27Z")
The Center of the Known Universe. (NYC) ---
**Author:** ![peasea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bc79bd/32.png) [@peasea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peasea)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-unofficial-name-of-your-metro-area/291752/7 "2005-02-24T20:00:13Z")
Thanks to Nelly, I live in Tha Lou’ ---
**Author:** ![peasea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bc79bd/32.png) [@peasea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peasea)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-unofficial-name-of-your-metro-area/291752/8 "2005-02-24T20:01:25Z")
Oh yeah, there’s that “Gateway to the West” thing, too. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-unofficial-name-of-your-metro-area/291752/9 "2005-02-24T20:05:03Z")
San Bernardino/Riverside/Redlands is known as the Tri-City area, or more commonly the Inland Empire. ---
**Author:** ![Cemetery\_Savior](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/439d5e/32.png) [@Cemetery\_Savior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cemetery_Savior)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-unofficial-name-of-your-metro-area/291752/10 "2005-02-24T20:10:34Z")
Not to be argumentative, but “Chicagoland” is really more in reference to Chicago and the extended suburbs. If you’re a used-car deal, this can be as far out as Rockford! Chicago referents by category: If you are a : term [ul] [li]Suburbanite : “The City”[/li][li]Businessperson : “The Loop”[/li][li]City-dweller outside of the Loop : “downtown”[/li][/ul] Sorry for getting too detailed. ---
**Author:** ![JohnM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/848f3c/32.png) [@JohnM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnM)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-unofficial-name-of-your-metro-area/291752/11 "2005-02-24T20:26:19Z")
Not my area, but L.A. is The Southland. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-unofficial-name-of-your-metro-area/291752/12 "2005-02-24T20:31:53Z")
Our area is generically referred to as Tampa Bay (or the Bay area), but it’s also called the Suncoast. Cincinnati was called the Queen City and/or Porkopolis. ---
**Author:** ![RenMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecb155/32.png) [@RenMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RenMan)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-unofficial-name-of-your-metro-area/291752/13 "2005-02-24T20:47:35Z")
**Boston** ’s metropolitan area is called simply **Greater Boston**. The city itself is called **The Hub** , as in The Hub of the Universe (no, [really](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston)). ---
**Author:** ![psycat90](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@psycat90](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psycat90)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-unofficial-name-of-your-metro-area/291752/14 "2005-02-24T20:56:57Z")
This area is generally known as Wine Country. We’re also considered North Bay, although I think we’re probably barely in or just out of that zone, though I use it. The main metro area being the San Francisco Bay Area (North Bay, South Bay, East Bay.) ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-unofficial-name-of-your-metro-area/291752/15 "2005-02-24T21:02:35Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#): > > Our area is generically referred to as Tampa Bay (or the Bay area), but it’s also called the Suncoast. Foof. There is only one **The Bay Area** , and it’s the San Francisco Bay Area. Tampa Bay Area my aunt Fanny! The part I live in is also called **Silicon Valley**. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-unofficial-name-of-your-metro-area/291752/16 "2005-02-24T21:07:26Z")
Mile High City. Which kinda sucks that Denver gets the ominous moniker because most of the suburbs are WELL above the 1 mile mark. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-unofficial-name-of-your-metro-area/291752/17 "2005-02-24T21:21:01Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > The Center of the Known Universe. > > (NYC) :rolleyes: 😃 Actually, my location is a play on the comment everyone makes about NYC: “The city that never sleeps”. Mine is: The Capital District, Capital Area, or Capital Region. Albany and surrounding cities. (Upstate NY) ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-unofficial-name-of-your-metro-area/291752/18 "2005-02-24T21:39:42Z")
> [@romansperson](#): > > The Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area is called The Triangle. If you expand it to include Greensboro and Winston-Salem, it’s called the Triad. Sometimes this area is also referred to as the Piedmont. I spent several years in the Charlotte/Fort Mill/Rock Hill area, and that was known as The Piedmont. 😕 Anyway, Tucson is also known as the Old Pueblo or the Baked Apple. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-unofficial-name-of-your-metro-area/291752/19 "2005-02-24T21:41:08Z")
We call it D.C. We have little imagination. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![partlycloudy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/partlycloudy/32/3114_2.png) [@partlycloudy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/partlycloudy)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-unofficial-name-of-your-metro-area/291752/20 "2005-02-24T21:46:43Z")
Baton Rouge is often called “Red Stick,” for obvious reasons. New Orleans = “Crescent City” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-unofficial-name-of-your-metro-area/291752.md?page=2)