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Every city has its own terminology, which developed over decades (centuries in some cases) and is peculiar to that city. If you don't know the characteristic terms for the city where you live, you'll stand out. Some examples:
In Dallas, South Dallas is actually north of the Trinity River which is the main division in the city. All of the city south of the river is NOT South Dallas - most of it's Oak Cliff.
In Boston, South Boston is a very distinct neighborhood from the South End. West Roxbury is not the western part of Roxbury but a different area altogether.
Philadelphia doesn't use general words like "side" or "division" to describe the seven grand divisions of the city: Center City (the original 1682 Town/1701 City of Philadelphia), Northeast Philly (or more commonly "the Northeast"), North Philly, Northwest Philly, West Philly, Southwest Philly, South Philly.
But individual neighborhoods within those divisions are referred to by their names. And "Northwest Philly" is heard less often than the other six; when talking about the part of the city I live in, people usually use the neighborhood names rather than the grand division unless they're talking about something that affects multiple neighborhoods in that part of the city.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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In Seattle, West Seattle is the only part named by the compass, and it's because it is separated by the end of Elliot Bay and the Duwamish River. Most people refer to the many "neighborhoods" which the city has formalized with even a "Department of Neighborhoods."
Boston is by squares, although that terminology has waned.
"I live up on Neponset by Ashmont Square, and I work at Harvard Square. After lunch we go down to Scollay Square for drinks at the cheap dive bars."
Oh yes. I had forgotten about that. Central Sq, Harvard Sq., Porter Sq, etc., etc., etc. That's a more fine-grained definition than saying "JP" or "West Roxbury" or "Charlestown".
At any rate, to the point of the OP, every city is different, every city has its traditions about how different areas are named, and it's part of learning a new place to learn its nomenclature.
Boston is by squares, although that terminology has waned.
"I live up on Neponset by Ashmont Square, and I work at Harvard Square. After lunch we go down to Scollay Square for drinks at the cheap dive bars."
The interesting thing is: None of these "squares" are actually squares. Instead, they're junctions of several major streets. The one exception is Copley Square in the Back Bay, which actually does have a square park at its center.
Scollay Square was erased in the mid-1960s to create what's now known as Government Center. It had been Boston's red-light district, but now it's a windswept, barren brick plaza in front of Boston City Hall and the Kennedy Federal Building.
The interesting thing is: None of these "squares" are actually squares. Instead, they're junctions of several major streets. The one exception is Copley Square in the Back Bay, which actually does have a square park at its center.
Scollay Square was erased in the mid-1960s to create what's now known as Government Center. It had been Boston's red-light district, but now it's a windswept, barren brick plaza in front of Boston City Hall and the Kennedy Federal Building.
Consider, though, what these intersections looked like in 1770. You'd basically have a big open place with roads/paths leading away from it. In that context it really was more like a square.
Every city has its own terminology, which developed over decades (centuries in some cases) and is peculiar to that city. If you don't know the characteristic terms for the city where you live, you'll stand out.
Terminology changes and piles up a bit as a place grows. Albuquerque has grown tremendously since WW2 and is divided into quadrants (NE, NW, SE, SW) essentially by the N-S railroad line and by Central Avenue (old Rt. 66). But then, over time there's West Side as the city grew across the Rio Grande. Then there's NE Heights -- newer neighborhoods up toward the Sandia Mtn foothills. Then there's West Mesa where residential areas are climbing up the western slope away from the river. There is North Valley and South Valley, older areas close to the river. There used to be East Mesa but that is mostly the UNM Campus, and the term seems less used. Knob Hill and Uptown are amorphous geographic labels as is the International District. There are areas without a well-recognized label that are more or less defined by a prominent street intersection.
St. Louis, on the other hand, is an old city, but has shrunk considerably since the 1950s. The infrastructure is for a much larger population. There are about 100 named neighborhoods that people recognize and some mega-neighborhoods. Dogtown is actually several named neighborhoods. There is a general understanding of North St. Louis and South St. Louis but maybe no firm boundary? The neighborhoods have unique characteristics. Carondelet was once a separate city annexed in the 1800s. The (trendy) Central West End is sort of central but not really the western edge of the city. The Hill is the Italian neighborhood. Bosnians live in or around Bevo (Bevo Mill). Academy and Vandeventer are north St. Louis neighborhoods and predominantly black with a lot of sturdy and stately homes. The Academy area was the setting for Tennessee Williams' "The Glass Menagerie". Benton Park West is about 15% Latino. Go there for the Cinco de Mayo celebration. Benton Park (East) has a different character related to the brewery history of St. Louis. The old Lemp Brewery is still looming there as is the haunted Lemp Mansion. The remarkable Chatillon-DeMenil House museum is there. Anheuser Busch Brewery is a few blocks away in the Soulard neighborhood, named after the 1779 farmer's market - still operating.
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