BBtguy, your grandparents lived in Lakewood and you’re a bt guy? I would love to hear your story one of these days.
I’m not really sure what you are or aren’t saying. Lakewood used to be a resort town, picked because it WASN’T a bustling Jewish community. Rav Shenur Kotler ZT”L used to attend the wedding of anyone who lived in Lakewood, whether or not they were part of yeshiva, as the community there was small.
I thik we are using “ir hatorah” differently. You are using it in the lower-case sense, and I agree. I was using it in the upper-case “Ir HaTorah” that the locals nostalgically describe before decrying the baalei battim moving to Lakewood who aren’t “undzere”.