Saying "the City" is a common way to reference a major metropolitan area. However, sometimes it can be refreshing to switch things up and use a different synonym for "the City". Some commonly used ones include "metropolis", "urban center", "downtown hub", "cityscape", "conurbation", "megalopolis" or simply referring to the city by its name, if applicable. Using different synonyms can make for more varied, interesting writing and also prevent a potential for confusion, as many cities share similar nicknames or titles. So, the next time you're writing about the City, consider trying out a new synonym to spice up your prose.