What Nicknames Go With Which Cities Quiz

Answer: Reading, PA

Reading got the nickname from its numerous pretzel bakeries. San Antonio is "The Alamo City" after the Battle of the Alamo in 1836. Philadelphia became "The City of Brotherly Love" because William Penn, who established it, was a Quaker that practiced religious tolerance and welcomed people of all faiths.

Indianapolis is known as "The Cross Roads of America" because it is the junction of six interstate, five U.S., and four state highways, as well as several railroads. [In the game "Monopoly," a card tells you to "Take a Ride on the Reading."]

Answer: Buffalo, NY

The nickname is a derivation of the word "Buffalo." Dallas is known as "Big D" because of its population and large industrial and economic development. New York as "The Big Apple" dates from the 1920s when racing tracks there were termed "the big apple"; the name soon was attached to the city itself. Old Town is "The Canoe City" because of the Old Town Canoe Co., a major employer and industry for over 100 years. [William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody.]

Answer: Detroit, MI

Detroit is so named because it has been the center of the automobile industry in the U.S. Boston is known as "Beantown" primarily because of Boston baked beans, a well-known dish. Birmingham is called "The Pittsburgh of the South" because of its impressive steel industry. Mobile is "The Gulf City" because it is a major port on the Gulf of Mexico. [The Detroit Lions (NFL) and the Detroit Tigers (MLB) have Detroit as their home.]

Answer: Seattle, WA

Seattle gets its nickname because the city and the surrounding area are filled with greenery. Spokane is called "The Lilac City" for the abundance of lilacs in the region. Reno's designation as "The Biggest Little City in the World" dates back to 1929, and is based on the city's relatively small size and population contrasted with its abundance of activities, from casinos and Lake Tahoe to the near-by Sierra Nevada mountains. Why Allentown is called "The Cement City" is a bit of a mystery; several cement companies did have their headquarters there, but no cement was actually manufactured. [The Space Needle is a Seattle icon, dating from the World's Fair.]

Answer: Kalamazoo, MI

In the mid-nineteenth century, celery began to be cultivated in the marshes along the Kalamazoo River and a major farm crop developed. Hollywood is called "Tinseltown" because of the glamor and glitter of the movie industry centered there. Toledo is known as "The Glass Capital of the World" because of its concentration of major glass companies (the Mayor even hands out glass Keys to the City to distinguished visitors). Durham is called "The City of Medicine" because is is home to over 300 medical and health-related businesses, including six major hospitals. ["I've Got a Gal in Kalamazoo" was a popular Glenn Miller song.]

Answer: Pittsburgh, PA

Pittsburgh is so-named because of its dominant steel industry. Hartford is "The Insurance City" because several insurance companies, including The Hartford, are located there. Denver is called "The Mile High City" because of its elevation, almost exactly one mile up. Salem is known as "The Witch City" because of the infamous witch trials in 1692 (the subject of Arthur Miller's play "The Crucible"). ["There's a pawn shop round the corner in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania" is from a Guy Mitchell song.]

Answer: Paterson, NJ

In the late nineteenth century, Paterson got that name because of the large quantity of silk fabrics produced in the mills there. Chicago is called "The Windy City" primarily because of the winds off Lake Michigan. Butte is "The Copper City" because of the several copper mines in the area. Las Vegas is "The Sin City" because almost anything goes ("What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas"). [Floyd Patterson was a Heavyweight Champion boxer.]

Answer: St. Louis, MO

St. Louis has long been regarded as the gateway to the west because of its geographical location on the west bank of the Mississippi River. Newark is called "The Renaissance City" because of its urban revitalization program that began in the late twentieth century and has greatly increased artistic and recreational activities, eliminated many slum areas, cut the crime rate drastically, and solved many of the financial problems. Saratoga Springs is "The Spa City" because the multitude of mineral springs in the area has made it a popular resort for over 200 years. Rochester is called "The Snapshot City" because it is home to Kodak, a major photographic industry. [The St. Louis Cardinals baseball team has represented the city for decades.]

Answer: "The Peanut City"

Planters Nut and Chocolate Company was established in 1912 in Suffolk because of the cultivation of peanuts in the area. New Orleans is known as "The Big Easy," but that name has several possible origins, two of which are that New Orleans, with its musical heritage, was an "easy" place for a musician to make a living or that New Orleans had a relaxed attitude toward alcohol consumption, particularly during Prohibition, so it was an "easy" place to enjoy a drink on a night out. Annapolis, MD, located on Chesapeake Bay, is called "Crabtown" for the many culinary delights created from Bay crabs.

International Falls, MN, located on the Rainy River across from Fort Francis, Ontario, is called "The Icebox" because an average year has 109.4 days with the maximum temperature below 32F, the most in the United States. [Jimmy Carter, of course, was a peanut farmer.]

Answer: Charleston, SC

Charleston is known for the abundance of Palmetto Palms in the area. Charlotte proudly claims the name "The Hornet's Nest." In 1780, Lord Cornwallis stopped there on his way to defeat the colonists; because the locals made his stay less than pleasant, he cut the visit short and later commented that Charleston was "A hornet's nest of rebellion." Providence is known as "The Beehive of Industry" because at the turn of the twentieth century it had some of the largest manufacturing plants in the country, turning out machinery, textiles, silverware, jewelry, and tools.

The term "The City of Angels" is an English translation of the Spanish "Los Angeles." [The Charleston was a dance craze in 1920s.]