When are you actually somewhere?

xzmattzx · #1 Posted **Oct 5, 2021, 3:06 AM**

When can you say that you are somewhere, and it's true, or it pragmatic/realistic?

For instance, when are you "at the beach"? How far away from surf and sand can you be and still legitimately say that you're at the beach?

Or, when are you "in the mountains"?

Or, when are you "in" a city? Do you need to be in one of the five boroughs to say that you're in New York City? Do you need to be in the city limits to say that you're in Los Angeles? Is it realistic to say you're in Las Vegas if you're only on the Strip?

There may be different definitions based on circumstances? When are things more rigid, and when are they more lenient?

ue · #2 Posted **Oct 5, 2021, 3:51 AM**

For cities, I'd say when you're in the metropolitan area you can say you're in X city. I tend to think the suburbs are extensions of the city. They would not exist without the city and they are culturally and economically tied to the city (and vice-versa in many instances). So if I just landed at Newark, I'd say I just got into New York (especially because most people don't know Newark outside of the Northeast US). If I am driving in on the 5 and hit Santa Clarita, I'd say I'm just getting into LA or on the outskirts of LA.

Manitopiaaa · #3 Posted **Oct 5, 2021, 4:48 AM**

You're at the beach if you can smell the ocean.

You're in a city if you can see the traffic.

You're in the mountains if you can't see the full sky.

homebucket · #4 Posted **Oct 5, 2021, 5:41 AM**

For the beach, probably on the street/buildings adjacent to the street, like a boardwalk and ocean/lakefront property. Not sure if smelling the ocean counts, since there's many places like the West Coast where there are no beaches, but instead rocky coastlines.

Mountains... probably when you're at a decent enough elevation where you start to see more stone/rock/granite than trees. Or maybe when you enter a park boundary and there's a sign.

For city it's definitely less rigid. If I'm talking to someone local, I won't say I'm in SF unless I'm actually in the city limits. If I'm in Palo Alto, I wouldn't be like "Hey I'm in SF now, want to meet up?" But if I'm talking to someone not from the area and they ask where someone from Hayward is from, I think it'd be reasonable to just say SF.

biguc · #5 Posted **Oct 5, 2021, 8:53 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by xzmattzx

When can you say that you are somewhere, and it's true, or it pragmatic/realistic?

For instance, when are you "at the beach"? How far away from surf and sand can you be and still legitimately say that you're at the beach?

Or, when are you "in the mountains"?

Or, when are you "in" a city? Do you need to be in one of the five boroughs to say that you're in New York City? Do you need to be in the city limits to say that you're in Los Angeles? Is it realistic to say you're in Las Vegas if you're only on the Strip?

There may be different definitions based on circumstances? When are things more rigid, and when are they more lenient?

Dishonesty aside, why would you say any of these things if they weren't literally true?

Steely Dan · #6 Posted **Oct 5, 2021, 1:49 PM**

you can say that you're officially in chicago when you're strolling down the river walk with an italian beef in one hand and a bottle of malört in the other, all while dreaming of making sweet love to coach ditka.

eschaton · #7 Posted **Oct 5, 2021, 2:33 PM**

I think the idea that you just need to skirt through the metropolitan area of a major city to be "in" it is kinda weird, considering how samey suburbs are across most of the country.

I mean, once for work I had to go to Sioux City, Iowa. I absolutely spent time in/around the downtown. But the closest airport was in Omaha, Nebraska, which I just flew in and out of. That didn't really give me any of the "Omaha experience."

JManc · #8 Posted **Oct 5, 2021, 3:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by homebucket

For city it's definitely less rigid. If I'm talking to someone local, I won't say I'm in SF unless I'm actually in the city limits. If I'm in Palo Alto, I wouldn't be like "Hey I'm in SF now, want to meet up?" But if I'm talking to someone not from the area and they ask where someone from Hayward is from, I think it'd be reasonable to just say SF.

I have to simply tell some of my relatives back in upstate New York that I am "relocating to San Francisco" even though it's actually Fremont which is closer to San Jose but they have no reference point other than San Francisco and that's the airport I use. Otherwise, I'll rarely be in SF proper.

eschaton · #9 Posted **Oct 5, 2021, 3:22 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by JManc

I have to simply tell some of my relatives back in upstate New York that I am "relocating to San Francisco" even though it's actually Fremont which is closer to San Jose but they have no reference point other than San Francisco and that's the airport I use. Otherwise, I'll rarely be in SF proper.

I could understand that with a lot of areas, but there's a pretty widely known term (the SF Bay Area) for that metro.

JManc · #10 Posted **Oct 5, 2021, 3:34 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by eschaton

I could understand that with a lot of areas, but there's a pretty widely known term (the SF Bay Area) for that metro.

I get blank stares with 'Bay Area' and here in Houston 'Bay Area' is confused with our Bay Area. If I just say San Francisco, the light bulb goes off. A lot of people just aren't good with cities and geography.

Steely Dan · #11 Posted **Oct 5, 2021, 3:39 PM**

^ yeah, one of the big problems with "bay area" is thats it's pretty damn generic. There are other bays with areas around them.

"the SF bay area" is obviously the big one within the context of the greater US, but if you simply said "we're moving to the bay area" in Florida, people there might very well think that you're talking about Tampa.

muertecaza · #12 Posted **Oct 5, 2021, 4:15 PM**

Probably not the case everywhere, but in Arizona you're in "the mountains" when your enter the ponderosa pine forest. I don't think anyone refers to desert mountains as "the mountains."

Obadno · #13 Posted **Oct 5, 2021, 5:25 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by xzmattzx

When can you say that you are somewhere, and it's true, or it pragmatic/realistic?

For instance, when are you "at the beach"? How far away from surf and sand can you be and still legitimately say that you're at the beach?

Or, when are you "in the mountains"?

Or, when are you "in" a city? Do you need to be in one of the five boroughs to say that you're in New York City? Do you need to be in the city limits to say that you're in Los Angeles? Is it realistic to say you're in Las Vegas if you're only on the Strip?

There may be different definitions based on circumstances? When are things more rigid, and when are they more lenient?

You are always somewhere

mrnyc · #14 Posted **Oct 5, 2021, 5:32 PM**

sometimes it depends on who you are talking to and what about.

generally speaking, for example, if its someone who does not know, i might say cleveland. if its a clevelander or even an ohioan, then we can be more specific.

or if i am talking to a non-nj person, then maybe its a generalized down the shore, but if its a nj person or maybe a tri-stater then i would add the beach town.

sometimes you might misjudge a bit, but if you pay attention to who you are speaking to usually it saves time and having to explain.

Centropolis · #15 Posted **Oct 6, 2021, 1:39 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Obadno

You are always somewhere

i don’t know, seems like we are floating a lot of interstellar space in america.

Steely Dan · #16 Posted **Oct 6, 2021, 2:18 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Centropolis

i don’t know, seems like we are floating a lot of interstellar space in america.

It's the stroads, dude.......... all the fucking stroads.

I did a fair bit of road tripping around the upper Midwest this summer, and Jesus Christ, it's all like one big endless stroad out there in "real america".

Ok, that's a gross exaggeration. Plenty of there-there places sprinkled in too, but all sadly woven together in the stroad matrix, creeping ever deeper into the cornfields and woodlands.

Double L · #17 Posted **Oct 6, 2021, 1:26 PM**

It is relative to each individuals appreciation of detail.

ilcapo · #18 Posted **Oct 6, 2021, 5:30 PM**

If i have a lay-over in say.. Munich. And take the shuttle to the city centre for a couple of hours then go back.

Is Munich eligible for ones "Places i've visited"-list?

And if so, where is the line drawn? A breath of fresh air at he airport taxi-stand certaintly isnt. What about a 15 minute trip to the closest mall or a cafe at the outskirts of the city?