List of city nicknames in New York

From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
Jump to: navigation, search


This partial list of city nicknames in New York compiles the aliases, sobriquets, and slogans that cities in New York are known by (or have been known by historically), officially and unofficially, to municipal governments, local people, outsiders, or the cities' tourism boards or chambers of commerce. City nicknames can help in establishing a civic identity, helping outsiders recognize a community or attracting people to a community because of its nickname; promote civic pride; and build community unity.[1] Nicknames and slogans that successfully create a new community "ideology or myth"[2] are also believed to have economic value.[1] Their economic value is difficult to measure,[1] but there are anecdotal reports of cities that have achieved substantial economic benefits by "branding" themselves by adopting new slogans.[2]

Some unofficial nicknames are positive, while others are derisive. The unofficial nicknames listed here have been in use for a long time or have gained wide currency.

Nicknames by city

Chazy calls itself the world capital of the McIntosh apple.
Cooperstown, site of the Baseball Hall of Fame where this plaque honoring Ty Cobb is displayed, lays claim to the title "Birthplace of Baseball."
Lockport's nickname of "Lock City" refers to the several Erie canal locks located in the city.

A

  • Albany
    • Cradle of the Union[3]
    • Smallbany (somewhat derisive)[4]
  • Amsterdam - The Carpet City[5]
  • Auburn
    • History's Hometown[6]
    • The Prison City (for Auburn Correctional Facility, formerly Auburn Prison)[7]

B

C

E

F

G

H

J

K

L

M

N

File:Niagara watervallen us.jpg
The city of Niagara Falls, New York, gets both its name and its nickname of "Cataract City" from the famous set of waterfalls known as Niagara Falls.

O

  • Ogdensburg
    • The Maple City (19th century)[66]
    • The New York of the North (mid-19th century)[66]

P

R

S

File:CanfieldsPark2.JPG
This 1907 postcard of Canfield Park and Saratoga Springs' nickname "the Spa City" both recall the era when the city's mineral springs and hotels made it a fashionable resort.

T

U

W

Y

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Alfredo Andia, Branding the Generic City:, mu.dot magazine, September 10, 2007
  3. ↑ MSN Encarta states that this nickname "resulted from the meeting here in 1754 of the Albany Congress, which adopted Benjamin Franklin's Plan of Union, the first formal proposal to unite the colonies."[1]. Archived 2009-10-31.
  4. ↑ "Albany: Smallbany or Smalbany or SmAlbany (nickname)"
  5. ↑ The Amsterdam Free Library, accessed April 5, 2007. "Amsterdam became known as "The Carpet City of the World."'
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ E.g. Prison City Pub and Brewery, Prison City Ramblers car club
  8. ↑ Binghamton: Building The Parlor City, WSKG-TV, accessed April 5, 2007.
  9. ↑ Carousel Capital of the World, accessed April 5, 2007.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 The Legacy Of George F. Johnson And The Square Deal, accessed February 5, 2015.
  12. ↑ 2008 Inductee Jim Matthews - Bobby Orr Hall of Fame, Parry Sound, Ontario
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Ryley, Sarah. "Brooklyn Atlantic Yards: 'Wrong Church, Wrong Pew,' Says Manhattan Judge in Tenants' Case", Brooklyn Daily Eagle, May 18, 2007. Accessed June 13, 2007. "State Supreme Court Justice Walter Tolub ruled the action 'was brought both in the wrong church and the wrong pew,' making reference to Brooklyn's early reputation as the 'City of Churches'. In a footnote, the judge cited an 1844 issue of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle as the origin of that nickname."
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Brooklyn news updates for December 27 - January 9, 2005, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz. Accessed June 13, 2007. "'This once again proves that in addition to being the Borough of Churches and the Borough of Trees, that Brooklyn is the Borough of Light during the holidays, and throughout the year,' said Marty."
  19. ↑ Students Show Why We Are the City of Good Neighbors, WGRZ, November 10, 2006.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Todd Natti, An Orphan of History, Art Voice, October 26, 2006
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 The Urban Design Project, The Queen City Hub: A Regional Action Plan for Downtown Buffalo, accessed February 12, 2011
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 22.4 22.5 U.S. City Monikers, Tagline Guru website, accessed January 5, 2008
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Barry Popik, Smoky City, barrypopik.com website, March 27, 2005
  24. ↑ City of Canandaigua official website
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 25.3 The World Capital of Whatever, The New York Times by Harold Faber, September 12, 1993.
  26. ↑ Hoboken Claims Honor As Baseball Birthplace, The Washington Post, June 20, 1990. "Gov. Jim Florio made a pitch to have Hoboken declared the birthplace of baseball, and he did it from the pitcher's mound at a site not far from where supporters say the first game was played, on the game's anniversary today."
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 Claims to fame - Sports
  28. ↑ Corning, New York, accessed April 16, 2007. "Recognized as a world leader in glass-making – and dubbed "Crystal City" for its prominence – Corning boasts a heritage that dates to the 1860s."
  29. ↑ Local History, accessed April 5, 2007. "Known as the 'Crown City' because of its location on a plain formed by the convergence of seven valleys, Cortland is situated about 1,130 feet above sea level, making it the uppermost city to crown the state."
  30. ↑ Claims to Fame - Agriculture, Epodunk, accessed April 16, 2007.
  31. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  32. ↑ Florida, New York, accessed April 16, 2007. "Onion farming became the primary source of agricultural revenue, resulting in the area being known as "The Onion Capital of the World." Growing, packing, and distribution of this crop continues to be Florida's most important industry."
  33. ↑ Motola, Chris. "Nestle and Sonoco Plants Expected to Resume Operation Under New Ownership", Oswego County Business, December 10, 2003, accessed April 16, 2007. "Fulton may once again live up to its slogan, 'a city with a future.' New York State Gov. George Pataki arrived to unveil the good news at a press conference at the Fulton Municipal Building on Dec. 10 at 2PM."
  34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 Claims to Fame - Fish, Epodunk, accessed April 16, 2007.
  35. ↑ Claims to Fame - Rocks, Epodunk, accessed April 16, 2007.
  36. ↑ [2], accessed November 19, 2013. "It may be 'the town that friendship built.' But Hamburg’s three-member Town Board has been rife with bickering and discord."
  37. ↑ Glenn Curtiss, accessed April 16, 2007. "Here, in the picturesque village of Hammondsport, known locally as the "cradle of aviation," Glenn H. Curtiss, world famous aviation pioneer who died unexpectedly in a Buffalo hospital, will be buried at 4 o'clock tomorrow afternoon."
  38. ↑ The Village of Haverstraw's History, Village of Haverstraw website, accessed December 24, 2008
  39. ↑ Brownfields Assessment Pilot Fact Sheet: Haverstraw, NY, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, accessed December 24, 2008
  40. ↑ Brick Making in the Hudson River Valley - Haverstraw, Powerpoint presentation by students in Marist College's Hudson Valley History Course, undated
  41. ↑ City of Hornell official website
  42. ↑ Historical Map of Jamestown, NY - 1882. Worldmapsonline.com. Retrieved on 2014-06-19.
  43. ↑ City of Jamestown, New York - The Pearl City. Jamestownny.net. Retrieved on 2014-06-19.
  44. ↑ About JC, accessed February 5, 2015
  45. ↑ TechCity Properties, accessed December 1, 2011
  46. ↑ City of Kingston 2011 Visitors' Guide, page 26. Accessed December 1, 2011
  47. ↑ D'Onofrio, John. "FOOTBALL: Semi-pro football returns to Lock City", Niagara Gazette, April 1, 2007, accessed April 16, 2007.
  48. ↑ City of Long Beach official website
  49. ↑ Purdum, Todd S. "POLITICAL MEMO; An Embattled City Hall Moves to Brooklyn", The New York Times, February 22, 1992. Accessed March 27, 2008. "Leaders in all of them fear that recent changes in the City Charter that shifted power from the borough presidents to the City Council have diminished government's recognition of the sense of identity that leads people to say they live in the Bronx, and to describe visiting Manhattan as 'going to the city.'"
  50. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  51. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  52. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  53. ↑ Joseph Nathan Kane, Gerard L. Alexander, Nicknames and Sobriquets of U.S. Cities, States, and Counties, Scarecrow Press, 1979, Page 340
  54. ↑ New Rochelle: The City of Huguenots, Knickerbocker Press, 1926, New Rochelle Chamber of Commerce
  55. ↑ Modern New Rochelle and The National City Bank, The National City Bank, 1909, M.J.Dillon, Page 19
  56. ↑ The History of New York State, Book III, Chapter IX; Editor, Dr. James Sullivan; Lewis Historical Publishing Company, Inc., 1927; Online Edition by Holice, Deb & Pam
  57. ↑ Why Is New York City Called "The Big Apple"?, accessed April 16, 2007.
  58. ↑ Finn, Robin. "A Vigilant Eye on Threats to the 'Capital of the World'", The New York Times, June 8, 2007. Accessed June 13, 2007. "'What makes this the biggest challenge in all that we do as an agency is, well, as the late pope said, New York City is the capital of the world,' he says, leading the way into his spacious sanctum at 26 Federal Plaza."
  59. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  60. ↑ Mullane, J.D. "Trumping a New Yorker", The Philadelphia Inquirer, March 25, 2007, accessed April 16, 2007. "'Here we go again,' I said. 'New York, New York. The city so nice they named it twice, right?'"
  61. ↑ "New York, New York" Lyrics, accessed April 16, 2007. "These vagabond shoes / Are longing to stray / And make a brand new start of it / New York, New York / I want to wake up in the city that never sleeps..."
  62. ↑ Art and the Empire City: New York, 1825–1861, Metropolitan Museum of Art, accessed April 16, 2007.
  63. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  64. ↑ Pfeiffer, Rick. "NIAGARA FALLS: Courthouse crumbles", Niagara Gazette, April 4, 2007, accessed April 16, 2007. "You don't have to look far to find structural faults — there is more police crime scene tape stretched around problem areas at the Public Safety Building then there is on Cataract City streets."
  65. ↑ The Town of Tonawanda - History, accessed April 16, 2007. "By the turn of the century Tonawanda and North Tonawanda, jointly known as 'The Lumber City', was the largest lumber supply center in the world."
  66. ↑ 66.0 66.1 History of Ogdensburg, Thousand Islands. Accessed June 13, 2007. "Attracting people from far and wide, we became the 'New York of the North'. At that time the community was known as 'the Maple City' and a city form of government was adopted on April 27, 1868."
  67. ↑ [3], Palmyra. Accessed March 27, 2011.
  68. ↑ [4], Pearl River Patch website, accessed January 12, 2012
  69. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  70. ↑ 70.0 70.1 Claims to Fame - Food, Epodunk, accessed April 16, 2007.
  71. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  72. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  73. ↑ Tourism, City of Plattsburgh website, accessed April 13, 2011
  74. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  75. ↑ 75.0 75.1 75.2 75.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  76. ↑ FAQs, Visit Rochester website, accessed April 28. 2012
  77. ↑ 77.0 77.1 Rochester's History webpage; "1850–1899: Westward expansion has moved the focus of farming to the Great Plains. Rochester's importance as the center for flour milling has declined. Several seed companies in Rochester have grown to become the largest in the world. Rochester's nickname is changed from the Flour City to the Flower City."
  78. ↑ The Flower City: Center of Nurseries and Fruit Orchards by Blake McKelvey, University of Rochester website; tells of the "almost world-wide fame that once redounded to the Flower City" during the latter half of the 19th century.
  79. ↑ E.g. Roc City Furniture, Roc City Skatepark, Roc City Rib Fest
  80. ↑ E.g. Copper City Driving School, Copper City Chrysler Dodge, Copper City United Soccer Club
  81. ↑ Paul Post, Saratoga group hopes to create Thoroughbred park, Thoroughbred Times, November 21, 2008. "Mayor Scott Johnson said the city cannot afford to purchase the parcel but that he supports the foundation’s efforts, which he said would be a welcome addition to the 'Racing City's' landscape."
  82. ↑ Mokhiber, Jessica. "Spa City celebrates Mardi Gras with sister city", Capital News 9, February 18, 2007. Accessed June 13, 2007. "Waveland, Mississippi and Saratoga are hundreds of miles from each other but they are connected by a special bond. After hurricane Katrina they became sister cities. This weekend people from Waveland helped the Spa City celebrate its very first Mardi Gras."
  83. ↑ Claims to Fame - Energy, Epodunk, accessed April 16, 2007.
  84. ↑ Roane, Kit R. "The Forgotten New York", U.S. News & World Report, January 7, 2007. Accessed June 13, 2007. "Back in the 1950s, maybe. But the song, adopted by the city in 1995, expresses more hope than reality these days. Once known as 'the city that lights and hauls the world,' Schenectady has become a dim bulb and the first stop in a long, bleak road that runs through much of upstate New York, a countryside pockmarked with a series of eerie industrial relics and shuttered mill towns."
  85. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  86. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  87. ↑ 15 July 1928, New York Times, pg. RE1: "Urging Staten Island operators to be cautious about pricing their realty, W. Burke Harmon, President of the Harmon National Real Estate Corporation, yesterday declared that sudden price increases on properties at this time might well result in halting the normal development of what he calls 'this forgotten borough that has suddenly stepped into the limelight.'"
  88. ↑ Barry Popik, Shao-Lin (Staten Island), popik.com, September 14, 2004
  89. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  90. ↑ Faber, Harold "The Talk of Troy; 'The Collar City' Is Loosening Its Ties to the Past" January 22, 1989. "Troy is still known as 'the collar city.'"
  91. ↑ 91.0 91.1 91.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  92. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  93. ↑ "Lost Borough (Yonkers)"

External links

Retrieved from "https://infogalactic.com/w/index.php?title=List_of_city_nicknames_in_New_York&oldid=721346979"