What does "The Inland Empire" refer to? (Los Angeles: price, authority)

[Count David]

Originally Posted by genjy

The area between the county border to 15 FWY is what known as the Inland Valley. Cities like RC, Chino, Corona, and Ontario are all Inland Valley cities.

Not Corona though, it doesn't have much connection with the others (more of a connection with Norco and Riverside).

I know the area you refer to though, pretty much what the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin newspaper covers -- centered on Ontario, and Rancho Cucamonga, Upland, both Chinos, Montclair, and even LA County cities like Pomona, San Dimas et al. The areas a little too far west to be accurately covered by its twin paper, the San Bernardino County Sun, and not including anything in Riverside County -- west (909) if you will.

[CAVA1990]

Inland Valley must be a more recent name. I don't recall that one from back in the day.

[vdy1985]

Inland Empire is a huge swath of land. It can be subdivided, but the "Inland Valley" is definitely a part of the Inland Empire.

[springman]

Originally Posted by NorCal Dude

909

Is "the 909" more or less derogatory than "inland empire"?

I just need to know what kinds of reactions I should expect when I tell people where I'm from, now. It sounds as if they'll either want to buy meth or manure from me.

[Fontucky]

Originally Posted by springman

I just need to know what kinds of reactions I should expect when I tell people where I'm from, now. It sounds as if they'll either want to buy meth or manure from me.

Why would you care?

I moved to the 909 from the 949 8 years ago. Here are the reactions I get when I mention where I now live:

• It gets hot & windy there, huh? (yes)
• Are there lots of brush fires? (sometimes)
• Are you surrounded by Mexicans? (and Hondurans, El Salvadorans, Nicaraguans...)
• Are there lots of meth labs? (they're mostly in Mexico now)
• What about the crime? (I'm not in San Bernardino)
• Can you find good Mexican food? (It's hard to find bad Mexican food)

[Count David]

Originally Posted by springman

Is "the 909" more or less derogatory than "inland empire"?

I just need to know what kinds of reactions I should expect when I tell people where I'm from, now. It sounds as if they'll either want to buy meth or manure from me.

Just be glad they actually know where it is (if they do, that is).

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by Fontucky

I moved to the 909 from the 949 8 years ago.

So we're now supposed to preface area codes like freeways? Has that also been extended to zipcodes?

[Fontucky]

I'm a ****ing trendsetter.

[Twinkle Toes]

Originally Posted by springman

Is "the 909" more or less derogatory than "inland empire"?

I just need to know what kinds of reactions I should expect when I tell people where I'm from, now. It sounds as if they'll either want to buy meth or manure from me.

Tell 'em you make a hybrid mixture of meth and manure, then baffle 'em with some BS extolling the health benefits of the hybrid! There - see? Problem solved! Glad I could help!

[Ol' Wanderer]

Don't know why people would say/write "909" with a sneer. I lived in the IE when it carried 714 area code and 917 zip code (before it was changed into 928 zip code.) After moving around the country and the world, we made a 360-degree turn to live in the general area again, and here is the description of our residency:

The US Postal Service does not deliver to our street address (no, we are not living in a rural area) so it does not matter what zip code we have; we could have a PO box down in our home town in Laguna Beach or up in a ski town in Sierra Nevada for the same purpose of receiving our mail. Husband's cell has 843 (Charleston, SC) area code. My cell has 310 (Santa Monica) area code. Our home line has 941 (Southwest FL) area code. Could people tell where we live when they contact us, by mail or by phone? No, they could not. That's why a number is just a number and not a representative of anything, not physical location, not mental state, not financial status, not lifestyle, not anything solid enough to hang one's hat or base one's opinion upon.