Downtown

Lore & Background

The Oxford English Dictionary's first citation for 'down town' or 'downtown' dates to 1770, in reference to the center of Boston. Some have posited that the term 'downtown' was coined in New York City, where it was in use by the 1830s to refer to the original settlement at the southern tip of Manhattan Island. As the town grew northward, 'uptown' referred to residential areas, while 'downtown' remained the major center of business. During the late 19th century, the term was adopted by cities across the United States to refer to the historical core, which was most often the commercial heart. By the early 1900s, 'downtown' was established as the proper term in American English for a city's central business district.

Reader's Guide

Downtowns typically contain a small percentage of a city's employment but are concentrated in services, including high-end office or white-collar jobs. They are often distinguished as hubs of public transit and culture. In the 20th century, downtown zones were redeveloped with single-purpose office skyscrapers for commuting employees. The typical downtown was no longer necessarily suitable for mixed-use housing, manufacturing, or retail.

Did You Know?

• The term 'downtown' was not included in dictionaries as late as the 1880s.
• In Boston, a resident pointed out in 1880, downtown was in the center of the city.
• The skyscraper became the hallmark of the downtown area, with steel-framed skyscrapers first used in Chicago and catching on most quickly in New York City in the 1880s.