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You are here: Home / Language / How Did the Words “Uptown” and “Downtown” Originate and What Do the Terms Mean?

How Did the Words “Uptown” and “Downtown” Originate and What Do the Terms Mean?

May 10, 2020 by Karen Hill

When New York City was only a town, its growth was restricted by the shape of Manhattan Island.

The word uptown first appeared in about 1830 and was used to describe the residential area growing up the Island away from the southern business centre.

Within a few years, downtown appeared to describe the opposite of uptown, or the main commercial district.

Today, the suburbs are uptown, while downtown remains the heart of the business district.

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Filed Under: Language

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

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