The city of Manchester, New Hampshire is often called Manchvegas. Does anyone know how and when this started? Does the city have some history of gambling, or does the term just refer to nightlife in general?
They have meadows?
Hah, I’ve never heard anyone else call it that so I assumed some of my friends had made it up!!
We called it that because it is to NH what LV is to Nevada: An oasis of population in the middle of a generally unihabited state.
We always said it with a bit of sarcasm in our voices, as if Manchester offered all the excitement of Vegas (which, to a bunch of high schoolers in Hanover, it did 
)
I’ve always just assumed it’s a joke, making fun of it. That’s how I always use it:
“Going to Boston tonight?”
“Nah, I don’t feel like doing much. Probably just go to NH”
“Ah, another wild night in ManchVegas.”
Also, it helps me distinguish it from Manchester, MA which is much closer by, when discussing it with my friends.
And here I thought that my sister made it up! We also use Manchvegas to differentiate from Manchester MA, excuse me,Manchester-by-the-sea :rolleyes:
(Not that ManchBTS isn’t lovely, but we Beverly natives think was a tad snooty when they changed their town sign to this)
Yes, we did 
I’ve heard several other smallish cities referred to in the same way, as in Greenville, SC = GreenVegas.
The implication is the same, that the town is actually relatively boring.
Howdy, neighbor!