City nicknames that city residents actually use

[DrCube]

@Jas09

St. Louis is in fact called “The Lou” by at least some locals. Never heard it called “St. Louie” except in song.

True. There’s even “Loufest”, a newish outdoor music festival in Forest Park.

Also, similar to “ATL”, I hear lots of people refer to “STL”.

[dasmoocher]

@Telemark

Crested Butte CO is often called “The Butte” or “Crusty Butt”, but the latter isn’t endorsed by the Chamber of Commerce

I had a friend that lived there for years and I’ve heard Crusted Butt. Probably not endorsed by the CoC, either.

Annapolis is Nap-town sometimes. Most people say DC or the District for Washington, D.C. and Baltimore is sometimes B-more.

The county to the east of DC is Prince George’s County and I’ve read that “locals” don’t like it when it’s called PG (or PG County), but that’s what most people there call it and everybody knows what you mean. Probably pretentious for a few to tell the locals that what they call the place where they live is improper.

[BobLibDem]

Ann Arbor is often called A-Squared.

Grand Rapids is G.R.

St. Joseph is of course St. Joe.

I hear Motor City more than Motown, but usually just Detroit

[Inigo_Montoya]

@installLSC

“Emerald City”, “Rain City”, and although fading out “Jet City” …

I was always fond of “Jet City” and still wish it got more of a purchase. Sounds cool, like Motor City only more modern. And by modern, of course I mean: 1960, black & white, “wow that Space Needle thing is pretty neat.” I despise “Emerald City”–the name was born of a contest to pick a nickname for the city, because other cities had nicknames and we want one too. It just reeked of bored Bellevue housewife searching for her purpose in life.

“Mile High City” is more of a commercial thing for Denver, especially recently. Locals tend to reefer to specific parts of town: LoDo (Lower Downtown), Colfax (usually east of the Capitol), Wash(ington) Park, etc. Except the football house. There is still a large contingent that refers to it as Mile High Stadium, stubbornly omitting any allusion to Invesco or Sports Authority

[watchwolf49]

People’s Republic of Eugene … aka Tracktown

[astorian]

@DrDeth

No, it’s a symptom of chauvinism by locals who don’t know any better. You can pretty much tell that a resident is poorly traveled and ignorant when they use the term. I just roll my eyes.

Well, nobody refers to New York City as a whole as “the City.” Rather, it’s what everyone in Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx and Staten Island call Manhattan.

Technically, those four boroughs are part of New York City, but if a guy from Flushing is going to a Broadway show or if a housewife from Bensonhurst is going shopping at Bloomingdale’s, they’ll tell everyone, “I’m going over to the City.”

[Hari_Seldon]

@mnemosyne

In written form, Montreal is often shortened to MTL, but I don’t think I’ve ever really heard it spoken.

In French, the provincial capital is often called La Capitale, to distinguish Quebec City from the province, although grammar and context rules usually make it clear anyways (au Québec, *à *Québec).

I’ve known people to refer to Sherbooke as Sherby in English, but never in French, and I commonly hear shortenings like Lennoxville as Lennox (and jokingly as Lennox-vegas), Drummondville as Drummond, Victoriaville as Victo, etc.

The Montreal suburb I live in, Town of Mt. Royal, is usually referred to as “The Town” or “TMR”. It was apparently once called “Model City” and is occasionally referred to by that name, usually ironically.

The twin towns of Champaign/Urbana, IL, where I spent four years, is often called “Chambana”, although I always felt “Urpaign” (pronounced “Your Pain”) would have been better.

[Ulfreida]

@DrDeth

Sometimes the residents of San Jose will jokingly refer to it as “San Joe-say” giving it a fake “American” accent. SJ is written but almost never said.

SF is called SF, it takes a ‘certain” kind of person to call it “The City”,:rolleyes: mainly someone who has never been to a real city, like LA or NYC.

Fresno is sometimes Fresburg and Bakersfield is sometimes “Bakkers-feld”, mostly jokingly.

No, the kind of person who calls San Francisco The City grew up in the Bay Area at a time when it was indeed, the only real city within driving distance. San Jose was “downtown”.

Being that kind of person, I still don’t consider LA a real city. I don’t even think of it as a real place. NYC, yes.

[congodwarf]

@HotDogWater

Worcester Ma: I’ve always liked Wormtown…the kids these days call it “The Woo”

I came to say this. Wormtown used to annoy me. I left for a few years and came back to The Woo. I have to restrain a very strong urge to slap someone whenever I hear that. I actually miss Wormtown now.