The termsixth borough is used to describe any of a number of places that are not politically within the borders of any of thefive boroughs ofNew York City but have been referred to as ametaphorical part of the city by virtue of their geographic location, demographic composition, special affiliation with New York City, orcosmopolitan character. They include adjacent cities and counties in theNew York metropolitan area as well as in other states,U.S. territories, and foreign countries.[1][2][3]
The Westchester County cities ofYonkers andMount Vernon directly border the northern part ofthe Bronx and share much of that borough's heavily urbanized character. In 1894, the voters of Yonkers and Mount Vernon, along with voters in other parts of southern Westchester, took part in a referendum to determine if they wanted to become part of New York City, along with the voters in Kings, Queens and Richmond Counties (today'sBrooklyn,Queens, andStaten Island, respectively). At that time, the city consisted only of Manhattan and a portion of the present-day Bronx, which had been part of Westchester until it became part of New York City in 1874. While the results of the 1894 vote were positive elsewhere, including in several other adjacent sections of Westchester, which were then annexed to the city and which thus became part of the new borough of the Bronx, the returns were so negative in Yonkers and Mount Vernon that those two areas were not included in the consolidated city and remained independent municipalities.[4] A subway connection was planned betweenGetty Square in downtown Yonkers and theNew York City Subway, but the project was abandoned after the failed merger vote. Local residents frequently refer to the area as "the sixth borough", referring to the two cities' location bordering the Bronx, the high number of local residents employed in Manhattan, and the area's similarly urban character.[1]
In 1934, a bill submitted by New York City alderman Elias H. Jacobs proposed merging Yonkers into New York City as a sixth borough. Joseph F. Loehr, then Mayor of Yonkers, was opposed to the merger, despite Jacobs's argument that such a maneuver would cause a rise in real estate prices and increase quality of transit.[5]
Governors Island is a place that has been referred to as a sixth borough of New York City.[13]
In 2011, New York MayorMichael Bloomberg referred to the city'swaterfront and waterways as a composite sixth borough during presentations of planned rehabilitation projects along the city's shoreline,[14] includingGovernors Island in theUpper New York Bay.[15] Other individuals have also referred to the city's waterways as a sixth borough.[16]Rikers Island has been called the sixth borough as well.[3]
Several 20th- and 21st-century proposals have been made for a drasticLower Manhattan expansion encompassing Governors Island, and have sometimes been characterized as visions for a "sixth borough".[17]
Other communities within the New York metropolitan area
Other communities within the New York City Consolidated Statistical Area have often been referred to as sixth boroughs, especially diverse urban centers such asStamford[18] andNew Haven.[19] Historically, these nearby cities have drawn in significant populations from New York City through outmigration and also share similar cultural characteristics with the city, such as disproportionately large Italian and Jewish American populations.
Philadelphia has been cited as a "sixth borough" due to its proximity to New York and the movement of New York residents to Philadelphia for various reasons, including lower rent prices and a generally lower cost of living.[20][21][25] The nickname has been met with apprehension by both Philadelphia and New York publications.[26] Some have even disputed inaccurate reporting about Philadelphia by New York–based reporters.[27]
Foreign countries, such asChina, have also been referred to as a "sixth borough." In China's instance, it is referred to as the "sixth borough" by some media because many Chinese companies invest in developments in Brooklyn, such asPacific Park.[28]
Manhattan University, located inRiverdale, Bronx, refers to itsJaspers student cheering section as "The 6th Borough" at home basketball games played inDraddy Gymnasium.[29] In addition, theUniversity of Connecticut (UConn) has often promoted itsHuskies sports teams, especially inmen's basketball, as "the Sixth Borough", given the dominance of that team in games played atMadison Square Garden.[30] UConn also sells a T-shirt making this claim.[31] Similarly,Syracuse University has often promoted itsOrange sports teams, especially itsfootball team, as the "Sixth Borough," due partly to the Orange playing a "home away from home" game every few years atYankee Stadium, the fact that Syracuse's colors of blue and orange can be found on theNew York City flag, and, in the years all six home games are played in Syracuse, their Senior Day game is attended by large numbers of New Yorkers andLong Islanders.
