A few weeks ago somebody was looking for a book "set in the tri-state area".

[conuly]

(By which she means "set in Tribeca" and she might as well have just said that, except that would've been unhelpful in the opposite direction.)

The first big problem with the use of the phrase "tri-state area" is that the USA is a big country and google confirms that there are lots of places called the tri-state area by the people who live in or near them. Even if there was only one, I doubt people outside the area would call it that.

The second problem... well, not really a problem, more like a comment - is that I've been living in NYC nearly my entire life and I'm still not entirely clear on what the third state is. NY, NJ, and... Connecticut? Pennsylvania?

Poll #31217 NY Tri-state area

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 50

View Respondents

Which is the third state?

View Answers

CT
38 (76.0%)

PA
14 (28.0%)

is potentially both of them! But usually Connecticut. Also, wow, our urban conglomerate really is... big.

Comments

[shadowkat]

I only know it's usually Connecticut because the News tells me that. Also, I work for a major Transportation organization, and it only covers NY, NJ and CT.

ETA: from the comments, you can tell who lives in NYC and watches NYC Broadcast News. Upstate really doesn't get the same news, does it? Nor does PA. I'm guessing CT and NJ most likely do?

[conuly]

I have no idea what news they get upstate, I've never been there. But yeah, I guess everyone in the metropolitan area watches the same news mostly.

[shadowkat]

Was thinking it over this morning - and it actually makes sense that someone north of NYC wouldn't think of NY, NJ and CT as tristate. The news media in NYC has to address situations in NJ, NY and CT, because it's viewing audience is in all three of those states. NYC and its boroughs are islands bordered by NJ and CT and NY. Hence tristate = NYC and its environs (which include CT and NJ).