student asking question

What is "inner city"? Is it different from just "city"?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

The "inner city" is the part of a city that is closest to the city center or the very central part of a city. There are a lot of neighborhoods in this part of cities that have high poverty rates and lower-class people living in old homes, so the phrase "inner city" often implies that this part of a city is older, more poor, and full of people in the lower-class. Ex: He had a rough childhood growing up in the inner city. Ex: There is a lot of gang violence in the inner city.

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