Should the Philadelphia MSA change it name?

[rainrock]

Originally Posted by avg12

Also, Atlantic City and SE NJ isn't part of the MSA, so sticking "Southern NJ" in the title misleads that it doesn't include an overwhelming majority of Southern NJ. Similarly, the Washington DC MSA doesn't include "Maryland" in the title or any of the Maryland cities, just MD in the states initials list.

New York MSA includes an overwhelming majority of Northern NJ, except for one county in NW NJ tied to Allentown MSA.

Commuter patterns aside you could make the case that there are very very strong ties to Philadelphia for all the 8 South Jersey Counties.Burlington,Camden,Gloucester,Salem,Cumber land,Ocean(Especially Southern 1/2),Atlantic,Cape May. Having South Jersey instead of Camden in the MSA title makes all the sense in the world.

[gwillyfromphilly]

Originally Posted by avg12

Also, Atlantic City and SE NJ isn't part of the MSA, so sticking "Southern NJ" in the title misleads that it doesn't include an overwhelming majority of Southern NJ. Similarly, the Washington DC MSA doesn't include "Maryland" in the title or any of the Maryland cities, just MD in the states initials list.

New York MSA includes an overwhelming majority of Northern NJ, except for one county in NW NJ tied to Allentown MSA.

How would that be misleading? It's still South Jersey either way. Have you forgotten that those counties used to be part in the Philly MSA so it's not like there is some huge disconnect as you claim. Also most people don't generally refer to the area as Southeast or Southwest NJ. Most people when asked will simply just say "I"m from South Jersey" for example.

[southernNE]

I think eventually Philadelphia and New York's Metro area will be connected and combined and be one giant mega-city. Still, they will keep separate names.

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by gwillyfromphilly

How would that be misleading? It's still South Jersey either way. Have you forgotten that those counties used to be part in the Philly MSA so it's not like there is some huge disconnect as you claim. Also most people don't generally refer to the area as Southeast or Southwest NJ. Most people when asked will simply just say "I"m from South Jersey" for example.

In my experience, most people from the Atlantic City area identify themselves as being from either the "Island" or "Mainland." While the Shore region is certainly "South Jersey" in the geographical sense, that term is less commonly used east of Vineland.

Originally Posted by southernNE

I think eventually Philadelphia and New York's Metro area will be connected and combined and be one giant mega-city. Still, they will keep separate names.

There already is (and has been for ages) a contiguous "megalopolis" that stretches from Southern New Hampshire to Northern Virginia. While there's certainly increasing commuter overlap between metropolitan areas, even in "transition zones," most locales still solidly tilt one way or the other.

[avg12]

Originally Posted by gwillyfromphilly

How would that be misleading? It's still South Jersey either way. Have you forgotten that those counties used to be part in the Philly MSA so it's not like there is some huge disconnect as you claim. Also most people don't generally refer to the area as Southeast or Southwest NJ. Most people when asked will simply just say "I"m from South Jersey" for example.

It's misleading like it would be renaming the LA MSA or CSA as Southern California MSA or CSA. In that case San Diego still isn't associated but it is geographically still Southern California. Likewise, here Atlantic City isn't associated.

Originally Posted by rainrock

Commuter patterns aside you could make the case that there are very very strong ties to Philadelphia for all the 8 South Jersey Counties.Burlington,Camden,Gloucester,Salem,Cumber land,Ocean(Especially Southern 1/2),Atlantic,Cape May. Having South Jersey instead of Camden in the MSA title makes all the sense in the world.

I agree on your first sentence, but wasn't the discussion of just changing the title, without changing the county makeup of the MSA? All the counties listed are not in the MSA, including Atlantic a major one.

If the discussion is for including those counties with a name change, then my response would be different. I think Atlantic City should be associated with Philly the same way Wilmington, DE is associated to Philly. While AC has its own industry (casino gambling b/c of NJ state legislature), Wilmington has quite of it's own industry as well because of Delaware laws, and I-95/Amtrak access to DC and NYC has made the region accessible for companies, unrelated to Philly access. But the cities are still connected well enough to Philly with overlap of commuting areas satellite employment centers in the suburbs of Philly, as well as the cities having cultural and market based regional ties to Philly.