Current Events > I've never understood the American concept of uptown and downtown.

(+) Yeah! (+)

What do these words actually mean? I suppose I could Google it...but instead, I'm asking CE! We don't have these words in British English, or, if we do, they probably don't mean the same thing.

This is a serious inquiry. I know people are just going to annoy me for a few posts, and then not answer. But still.

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downtown - central/commercial
uptown - residential

basically, city vs suburbs

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uptown = rich, snobby, privileged expensive area
downtown = gritty, raw, hipster doofus poor people section

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TheMikh posted...

downtown - central/commercial
uptown - residential

basically, city vs suburbs

This generally, though in NYC, there's also midtown which refers to the middle of the island, which sorta qualifies as downtown as well.

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In Australia the inner city and inner suburbs are where the rich people live while the outer suburbs is where the poor people live.

It's the complete opposite

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downtown is the heart of the city where all the businesses & industry are, uptown is the areas on the outskirts of the city where all the more affluent people live. downtown is also synonymous with inner-city in the US

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My understanding is that these terms are based on NYC, where downtown is literally the South of Manhattan, and Uptown the north.
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EvalAngell posted...

uptown = rich, snobby, privileged expensive area
downtown = gritty, raw, hipster doofus poor people section

Someone come get there lost child


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