Going into the city

No question that people in New York and Los Angeles, based on those cities' unique geographies, are perfectly appropriate if they say, "I'm driving into the city"...even if they are already in "the city". For the outer boroughs of New York, Manhattan is "the city" and even New York. For folks in the Valley in LA, though in city limiits, going into the city or into LA makes sense: it's across the Santa Monica Mts. But how about Chicago? Metra stations within the city sport the same signs as the suburban ones do: "to Chicago" and "from Chicago", Chicago being downtown. So here's the questions: if you live in essentially an in-city, but solidly suburban type of community (i.e. Sauganash, Beverley, Edison Pk, etc.) would you ever use...is it appropraite for you to use..the phrase "I'm going into the city.???? Can Chicago be "the City", a place where you are not, even though you are within city limits?>