Southern State Legislative Chambers Up in 2012

[tpfkaw]

I live in the inner city and I think what he's saying is ridiculous.

The place where retarded hipsters are stored =/= "inner city."

[tpfkaw]

It's "inner city" if you could be genuinely worried about being shot, or if you have reason to be fearful because you're a white person.  Retarded hipsterville has never been "inner city" by anyone's definition except maybe some retarded hipsters who want to show "solidarity" with the poor that they studiously avoid, or perhaps merely want to "live ironically."

[tpfkaw]

It's "inner city" if you could be genuinely worried about being shot, or if you have reason to be fearful because you're a white person.  Retarded hipsterville has never been "inner city" by anyone's definition except maybe some retarded hipsters who want to show "solidarity" with the poor that they studiously avoid, or perhaps merely want to "live ironically."

To be fair, BRTD does live in the "inner city" by geographical designation.  Just because it's not majority black or crime ridden does not mean it's not inner city.  It's in the core urban area of a major metropolitan area and votes overwhelmingly Democratic in elections.  The only difference between what Krazen said and reality is that where BRTD is, not, in fact, a dump.  While it's not gentrified or upscale and definitely looks a bit grungy... though if I remember correctly, his neighborhood is overwhelmingly made up of youngs despite not being near the university.

Okay, then what do you know, I'm in the "inner city" too.  "Inner city" might literally have a geographical meaning, but when 99% of people say "inner city" they're referring to a sociocultural phenomenon of isolated, lower-class, minority ghettoes.  Otherwise we'd have absurdities like parts of NYC with $250,000 parking spaces being designated "inner city."

[tpfkaw]

Wiki sayeth:

"The inner city is the central area of a major city or metropolis. In the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Ireland, the term is often applied to the lower-income residential districts in the city centre and nearby areas. Sociologists in these countries sometimes turn this euphemism into a formal designation, applying the term "inner city" to such residential areas rather than to geographically more central commercial districts.

...

The peculiar American sociological usage is rooted in the middle 20th century. When automobiles became affordable in the United States and forced busing ensued, many middle and high-income residents, who were mostly white, moved to suburbs to have larger lots and houses, and a lower crime rate. The loss of population and affluent taxpayers caused many inner city communities to fall into urban decay. Late in the century, many such areas underwent gentrification, especially in the Northeast and West coast, depriving them of the "inner city" label despite their unchanged location."