Why is the article 'the' used in 'The New York City Housing Authority'?

[Matthew Wai]

By Google Search, I found 'The New York City Housing Authority'.
The article 'the' is used before the name. Should it be regarded as an exception to the general rule below?

In English, the general rule is that if the name of the city comes first, don't use the article.

 

[emsr2d2]

In this particular example, it is "the housing authority" of "New York City". There is, presumably, only one housing authority there. If that's not correct, then the definite article is inappropriate.

I believe that, when I gave the information you posted, I was referring to things like "London Bridge" or similar. There is more than one bridge in London so it's not appropriate to use the article.

In any case, you should know by now that very few of our "rules" are hard and fast. There are exceptions to every rule and there is plenty of quirkiness in the English language.

 

[Matthew Wai]

By Google Search again, I found 'American Housing Authority', where no article is used.
'American' is an adjective rather than a name. Why is 'the' not used before 'Housing Authority'?

 

[emsr2d2]

On Google, indefinite and definite articles are frequently omitted from the hits.

 

[Rover_KE]

In real life, there are occasions when the use or omission of an article makes no difference.

I consider this to be one of them.

 

[MikeNewYork]

"The New York City Housing Authority" is very common and quite normal.

 

[MikeNewYork]

Matthew, I have never heard of "American Housing Authority". When I searched Google, there were very few hits and many dealt with "Afro-American" and "Native American".

 

[Matthew Wai]

There is more than one bridge in London so it's not appropriate to use the article.

Assuming that there is only one bridge in a place named Utopia, it is appropriate to say 'the Utopia Bridge'?

 

[MikeNewYork]

That depends on what the locals call it.

 

[Matthew Wai]

I found 'the Washington Post' in the Longman Dictionary.
Is there only one 'Post' in Washington, so it is appropriate to use 'the' before 'Washington' which is a name?
I always write 'the Longman Dictionary'. Is it correct to use 'the'?

 

[Matthew Wai]

Can anyone answer my questions in post#10?

 

[MikeNewYork]

From what I see at Longman's site, they don't use a "the" in the title. I have always seen "the" used before Washington Post.

 

[Matthew Wai]

I have always seen "the" used before Washington Post.

But why 'the' is used before 'Washington' which is a name?

 

[Rover_KE]

To repeat what I said earlier:

There are occasions when the use or omission of an article makes no difference.

 

[MikeNewYork]

The used before Washington Post just as it is used before New York Times.