WHY Ironforge and Orgrimmar. Just why?

[Naruxx]

It feels like an even split between SW and IF on my server.

IF is the classic home city that most players troll out of habit. SW is the best place to do auctions thanks to an optimal AH/Mailbox/Bank combo.

However neither of these lag at all, whereas Dalaran is virtually unplayable for me, I usually use my Argent Tabard to get to northrend just for a reasonable loading time.

The server (grim batol EU) is often pop locked and lags a lot in northrend, but rarely in IF or SW.

I Play alliance Grim Batol EU Too, SW/IF Feels like 50/50 i agree, 0 People in Darn/Exodar and dalaran is a laggfest.
xD.

[Memory]

Most reasons have been said (unique AH in vanilla WoW, best lines of communications with anywhere). I would add that Orgrimmar has bank/mailbox and auction house very close, with still a big empty space in between, for people to socialize, joke, show off, etc. (it's also near to the FP and to the city gates... seriously, Orgrimmar's planimetry is extremely functional; only blacksmiths sweared all time, but their issue got finally solved). Ironforge has similar benefits, I think. Other cities have weird planimetries that wouldn't suit as good.

I would add that, back in vanilla, Undercity was way more populated than it's now, since there were more people levelling and it was a big knot that gathered people from every level. And no other capital city was as near to any of the most popular instances, as Undercity was near to Scarlet Monastery. Plus it was near to plaguelands, so it was a solid base for capped players as well.

Now people prefer old cities only because of AH or because they're not as laggy as Dalaran, so it doesn't really matter how good UC could have been in vanilla, Orgrimmar wins for every other reason.

[Araya]

It all stems back to vanilla. Ironforge and Orgimmar were the only cities with Auction Houses for a very very long time. Come the patch they all got AH's and they are still used. Why? Location, Orgimmar is close the Onxyia and the boats to the Eastern Kingdom, while Ironforge has THE perfect location. Ironforge is close to Molten Core AND Blackwing Lair, a short flight to STV or the Plaguelands for Naxx. Though recently Stormwind has picked up, but thats more due to the Honor vendor being there and the boat that goes right to Northrend. Ironforge also had the closed AH and bank/mailbox, as well as "The Bridge".

[Anteries]

I've noticed on my server (atleast alliance) the hangout spot is South Dalaran bank. Everyone is either in it or infront of it, SW is probably the most common AH used but rarely are there people there for longer then what you need the AH for. Dalaran Sewers are also the hangout spot for pvpers since its free to duel.

[cyzzie]

for ironforge its quite simple at least on old servers,
it had the fastest access to most of the interesting dungeons and raids
mc, bwl, ubrs, strat/scholo ... i don't know why its ogrimmar though, maybe UC lost because its just sucky to get around.

[Rolzun]

this is kind of long time ago in vanilla but one good reason why ppl didn't want to go to UC was because you couldn't use mounts there it sucked alot.

ofc, OG was long time the only place with an AH, only battlemasters, shortest distance to zeppelins (outside UC you could go to OG (and in OG to UC) and STV, same in OG) =)

[Torinogut]

I think the lack of a sanctuary will spread people about abit. I will be migrating to Darnassus when Cataclysm hits. Thunder Bluff on my horde characters.

[Syphilicious]

I always wondered the same thing about these two cities when I first started playing over 4 years ago. The answer was as simple then as it is now: the bank/mailboxes are right across from the auction house and closer than in other cities. I obviously can't speak for everyone, but the AH is the only reason I ever really go down to the old-world cities anymore. Otherwise my time is better spent in Dalaran.

[Sidonis]

lol 2 more pages of people saying copies of the same shit I said on page two. I realize no one wants to read an entire thread when it's 5+ pages, but jesus people, the question was answered a few hours ago.

[Tunaria]

As already mentioned, Ironforge has a really good layout for a city.

You can get around everywhere in the city fast thanks to it's ring-like layout, with nothing being too far off.
Even riding from the entrance to the caverns takes relatively short time compared to other cities.
Plus, I like the symmetry ^^

As for horde, I'll say UC.
True, I visited Orgrimmar pretty often before the other cities also got AH, but the layout was somewhat confusing to me and still is.
I'd say I like UC for the same reasons that I like IF, though UC is less optimized layout-wise(entrance and elevators comes to mind).

@Sidonis
It's called having an opinion and is something people are free to post, regardless if it's the same opinions and reasons as yours.
Just because the majority use IF and Org doesn't mean everyone does, like me for instance.
Not everyone has the same reasons for prefering those cities, either.
You should re-check the OP and read what else he was asking about.

[alostrael444]

Undercity for life. I don't understand how people get lost; it's color-coded ffs. I even had my hearthstone set there in vanilla because my connection couldn't handle Lagrimmar. Ever since they added indoor mounts, the auctioneers (there are like 8 of them) and the new mailboxes, the only reason to go to Org is to spend honor points. I do wish they'd add PvP vendors to the Royal Quarter already though.

[Pancha]

Most likely due to OG / IF being the place with the most stuff put together back in vanilla

[Daimyon]

Thrall's awesomeness compels me to visit Orgrimmar daily. I also visit the throne room to bask in his awesomeness.

[yomyom]

On my Alliance server SW tends to have more people than IF, but not by much. Personally I use SW because I like it as a city. Darn and exo never gets used because its to far away from anything. I did uses exo a lot in TBC, but that was because there was no loading time to go there.

On my horde server what most people have been saying appears to be true, most in ogr, some in UC, a hand full in TB and SM is dead. My low level toons on that server use ogr and UC because of their convenience to the rest of the world, but my 80s use TB because it is a nice city.

[riflemancho]

Because are coolest. In vanilla only they haved AH, and aswell they have best places to duel

[Deleted]

On my server (Terenas-EU) its Ironforge on the alliance side that is the busiest. A few reasons for this is its easy for you to gather there and have less travelling time to raid instances/most of the old dungeons aswell. It was also the closest to the boat if you needed to travel to Kalimdor to raid AQ20/40/onyxia aswell.

It is also centrally based on the continent if thats where you were questing/grinding. So basically, especially if you were playing in vanilla, it was the city of choice and i suppose most people have just carried the tradition on my autopiloting to Ironforge to this day. Its also the easiest city alliance side to get to where you need quickly like a forge/AH/bank/trainers/battlemasters etc. I myself still spend time there and probably will for cata, old habits die hard i suppose.

lol 2 more pages of people saying copies of the same shit I said on page two. I realize no one wants to read an entire thread when it's 5+ pages, but jesus people, the question was answered a few hours ago.

The OP asked a question, people are just answering it with the reasons why they use either of those 2 cities. I did read what you said in your post, but i am allowed to voice my opinion as its relevent to the topic.

[Bombkirby]

Those cities are fairly compact and easy to navigate. I port to IF to do my auctioning cuz the mage district (where I end up) is real close to the AH and bank as opposed to SW.

[pomop]

Because a long long time ago, there used to only be Auction Houses in those two cities. People got used to how to move around there, and simply always go there because they are used to it.

[Taliron]

Silvermoon is best city in the Game for all aspects ( ok no barber shot and no warrior triener but who cares about warrior triner? oh wait in Cat we will have them XD no sure about shaman triner :P)

Lots of mail boxes everywere easy to get to places, 2 AH 2 Inn 2 Banks
TB is my second favorite too bad no pala triner and no eng triner :X
IF is the most coolest ally city them darnassus

Silvermoon is up in the far north east and goes nowhere except UC and plaguelands which are both almost dead. Also there IS a warrior trainer with the BG masters in silvermoon

[AnotherPaladin]

Orgrimmar offers a vast variety of different trainers and other important Npc's in a relatively close space. The mailbox is right next to the AH, and Thrall chills at org. That or Saurfang draws us there. I don't know.