NYC or just NY?
January 13, 2011 7:58 PM Subscribe
Which is the correct address: "New York, NY" or "New York City, NY"? Does it even matter?
And, does this address only apply when you are sending something to Manhattan or can it apply to any of the 5 Boroughs?
Ok, so here's admittedly a weird one - help settle an office debate!
I work for a school who is sending materials out to prospective students. My boss argued that something addressed to "New York City, NY" (student had provided this as her city name) was incorrect - that the proper address had to be "New York, NY" ("No one ever says, New York City, NY!"). I thought there was no difference between these two; you were free to say either. New Yorkers and beyond, is there a "right way" to address something to your city?
And, sort of an aside to this silly debate, when you're sending something to New York City/New York, NY does that only refer to addresses in Manhattan? I was under the impression you never say "Manhattan, NY" - you always use NY, NY - but for the other boroughs, you send it specifically there (so, Brooklyn, NY; Bronx, NY, etc.).
Sorry for such a nitpicky question but Google wasn't helping a bit!
Ok, so here's admittedly a weird one - help settle an office debate!
I work for a school who is sending materials out to prospective students. My boss argued that something addressed to "New York City, NY" (student had provided this as her city name) was incorrect - that the proper address had to be "New York, NY" ("No one ever says, New York City, NY!"). I thought there was no difference between these two; you were free to say either. New Yorkers and beyond, is there a "right way" to address something to your city?
And, sort of an aside to this silly debate, when you're sending something to New York City/New York, NY does that only refer to addresses in Manhattan? I was under the impression you never say "Manhattan, NY" - you always use NY, NY - but for the other boroughs, you send it specifically there (so, Brooklyn, NY; Bronx, NY, etc.).
Sorry for such a nitpicky question but Google wasn't helping a bit!
The post office doesn't care. They do it by zip code anyway.
posted by wooh at 8:00 PM on January 13, 2011
posted by wooh at 8:00 PM on January 13, 2011
Best answer: If you are mailing something to Manhattan, it's "New York, NY". It's different in the other boroughs.
In the Bronx, it would be "Bronx, NY."
Brooklyn would be "Brooklyn, NY".
Staten Island would be "State Island, NY".
Queens of course has to be different. You generally have to put the neighborhood in Queens - Jamaica, FOrest Hills, Woodside, whatever.
posted by Aversion Therapy at 8:01 PM on January 13, 2011 [3 favorites]
In the Bronx, it would be "Bronx, NY."
Brooklyn would be "Brooklyn, NY".
Staten Island would be "State Island, NY".
Queens of course has to be different. You generally have to put the neighborhood in Queens - Jamaica, FOrest Hills, Woodside, whatever.
posted by Aversion Therapy at 8:01 PM on January 13, 2011 [3 favorites]
New York, NY. It refers to Manhattan only. I often will just write NYC and zip code, though, because I'm lazy and they go by zip code anyway
posted by newpotato at 8:03 PM on January 13, 2011
posted by newpotato at 8:03 PM on January 13, 2011
If you send something to "New York City, NY," it'll get here.
posted by ocherdraco at 8:04 PM on January 13, 2011
posted by ocherdraco at 8:04 PM on January 13, 2011
Best answer: "New York City" is comprised of all 5 boroughs. Manhattan is a part of it. So is Brooklyn, etc.
So no, New York City, NY is not correct. But it will get there anyway, it's all about the zip code.
To answer your other question, yes, "New York, NY" refers to Manhattan only.
posted by iconomy at 8:07 PM on January 13, 2011
So no, New York City, NY is not correct. But it will get there anyway, it's all about the zip code.
To answer your other question, yes, "New York, NY" refers to Manhattan only.
posted by iconomy at 8:07 PM on January 13, 2011
If you want a canonical answer, you can use the USPS zip lookup and addressing info pages.
posted by zamboni at 8:07 PM on January 13, 2011 [6 favorites]
posted by zamboni at 8:07 PM on January 13, 2011 [6 favorites]
In my previous life, when I did a lot of mailings, it doesn't matter as long as you have the ZIP code right. NYC is NYC, whether it's Brooklyn or the Bronx or whatever other borough. The only people who really care are the people who live there.
posted by rtha at 8:08 PM on January 13, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by rtha at 8:08 PM on January 13, 2011 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Not directly on point, but this question made me think of this other one you might find interesting.
I think the ZIP code is key more than the city name. That said, though, you can search by ZIP to find cities within that ZIP. I searched 10005 (the ZIP for the New York Stock Exchange, according to Google Maps). The result was:
Actual City name in 10005
NEW YORK, NY
Acceptable City names in 10005
WALL STREET, NY
Not Acceptable
MANHATTAN, NY
NYC, NY
So there's that...
posted by SuperNova at 8:09 PM on January 13, 2011
I think the ZIP code is key more than the city name. That said, though, you can search by ZIP to find cities within that ZIP. I searched 10005 (the ZIP for the New York Stock Exchange, according to Google Maps). The result was:
Actual City name in 10005
NEW YORK, NY
Acceptable City names in 10005
WALL STREET, NY
Not Acceptable
MANHATTAN, NY
NYC, NY
So there's that...
posted by SuperNova at 8:09 PM on January 13, 2011
As long as the zip code is on there (even better if it's zip+4), the post office probably won't care. I went through some youthful experimentation with the postal system, and oftentimes they will post something with just the zip+4 if it's specific enough (for most postal addresses they also need the street number, but our school mailroom had its own zip code and the +4 was the mailbox of each person). In cities with large metro areas, people will often use the nearest city as their city, even if their address isn't incorporated there.
posted by that girl at 8:11 PM on January 13, 2011
posted by that girl at 8:11 PM on January 13, 2011
For instance, here's the zip lookup for 10001:
Actual City name in 10001
NEW YORK, NY
Not Acceptable
EMPIRE STATE, NY
G P O, NY
GREELEY SQUARE, NY
MACYS FINANCE, NY
MANHATTAN, NY
NY, NY
NY CITY, NY
NYC, NYBest answer: Differing opinion, based on a whole lot of reading addresses:
New York, NY is, and always has been, widely accepted for both Manhattan and Bronx addresses, although this convention as fallen out of favor for Bronxites -- but it still works. However, don't try it for BK/QNS/SI. Although as people above point out, zipcodes matter more than anything. Letters to Queens, in particular, no longer need to be addressed to one of the "four towns" (Long Island City, Flushing, Jamaica, and Elmhurst).
posted by zvs at 8:15 PM on January 13, 2011
New York, NY is, and always has been, widely accepted for both Manhattan and Bronx addresses, although this convention as fallen out of favor for Bronxites -- but it still works. However, don't try it for BK/QNS/SI. Although as people above point out, zipcodes matter more than anything. Letters to Queens, in particular, no longer need to be addressed to one of the "four towns" (Long Island City, Flushing, Jamaica, and Elmhurst).
posted by zvs at 8:15 PM on January 13, 2011
Although mail will likely arrive so long as the ZIP is correct, I think it would look pretty unprofessional for a school to be sending out materials to prospective students addressed "New York City, NY," or "Manhattan, NY."
That bit about the Bronx = "New York" is interesting, zvs. I suppose there aren't any duplicate addresses since the street grid continues? Makes me think of Marble Hill, which I find fascinating for its borough identity crisis.
And, since I'm on a tangent, further reading.
posted by dixiecupdrinking at 8:34 PM on January 13, 2011 [2 favorites]
That bit about the Bronx = "New York" is interesting, zvs. I suppose there aren't any duplicate addresses since the street grid continues? Makes me think of Marble Hill, which I find fascinating for its borough identity crisis.
And, since I'm on a tangent, further reading.
posted by dixiecupdrinking at 8:34 PM on January 13, 2011 [2 favorites]
All of the above said, friends of mine have addressed mail to some pretty crazy addresses, and as long as they got the ZIP right, it eventually got to me. I have a lovely postcard addressed to me at my street address in "Queensistan, NY". I lived in Long Island City at the time.
posted by Sara C. at 8:55 PM on January 13, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by Sara C. at 8:55 PM on January 13, 2011 [2 favorites]
Aaah, Marble Hill.
Yeah, in my experience you can write anything for a Queens address and get the letter delivered. I received mail at Astoria, Ridgewood, and Ditmars with nary a peep from the postal service.
posted by zvs at 3:33 AM on January 14, 2011
Yeah, in my experience you can write anything for a Queens address and get the letter delivered. I received mail at Astoria, Ridgewood, and Ditmars with nary a peep from the postal service.
posted by zvs at 3:33 AM on January 14, 2011
As an aside, you'll note from USPS's addressing tips and tools that delivery and return addresses should not contain commas or periods. So really, it should be "New York NY".
/petpeeve
posted by litnerd at 5:35 AM on January 14, 2011 [3 favorites]
/petpeeve
posted by litnerd at 5:35 AM on January 14, 2011 [3 favorites]
Heh, according to the USPS, Marble Hill is in the Bronx:
Actual City name in 10463
BRONX, NY
Not Acceptable
RIVERDALE, NY
SPUYTEN DUYVIL, NY
posted by ocherdraco at 6:57 AM on January 14, 2011
Actual City name in 10463
BRONX, NY
Not Acceptable
RIVERDALE, NY
SPUYTEN DUYVIL, NY
posted by ocherdraco at 6:57 AM on January 14, 2011
« Older How can I keep my cool with an angry co-worker? | Message to potential advertisers that appeared in... Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Narrative Priorities at 8:00 PM on January 13, 2011 [1 favorite]