This partial list of city nicknames in Pennsylvania compiles the
aliases,
sobriquets and
slogans that
cities, boroughs, and towns in
Pennsylvania are known by (or have been known by historically), officially and unofficially, to municipal governments, local people, outsiders or their
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. Many of the unofficial nicknames listed here have been in use for a long time or have gained wide currency.
A sign proclaiming
Scranton as "The Electric City" overlooks Courthouse Square. The city got its moniker for being the site of the nation's first electric-powered
streetcars.
^Salter, Rosa (April 20, 2003). "Two in tune with the times ** At 175, Allentown Band, America's oldest, preserves best of tradition". The Morning Call. pp. E.01.. "1967: Allentown named Band City-U.S.A"
^Whelan, Frank (March 13, 2002). "Hamilton Street used to be thick with peanut shells ** And Allentown's Army Camp Crane once had a popular commander". The Morning Call. pp. B.04.. "Allentown's title as the Peanut City goes back to the late 19th and early 20th century when large amounts of them were eaten in the Lehigh Valley. From the 1880s to the 1920s, vendors lined Hamilton Street, singing jingles in Pennsylvania Dutch about the superior quality of their peanuts. Former Call-Chronicle Sunday editor John Y. Kohl recalled in 1967 that the peanuts were eaten mostly by young men and boys who would walk Hamilton Street on Saturday nights flirting with girls and 'throwing the shells about with complete abandon.' Sunday morning sidewalks were 'not quite ankle deep' in shells. Merchants would get up early to sweep them into the gutter so churchgoers would not have to wade through them.'"
^Whelan, Frank (May 7, 1991). "Cement City' Moniker Is A Mystery American Heritage Says Label Was Allentown's". The Morning Call. pp. B.03.. "Silk City for example, is a throwback to the late 19th and early 20th century, when Allentown was known for its many silk mills. Although the last mill closed a few years ago, the name hangs on in the minds of older residents."
^Whelan, Frank (May 7, 1991). "'Cement City' Moniker Is A Mystery American Heritage Says Label Was Allentown's". The Morning Call. pp. B.03.. "Queen City's origins as an Allentown nickname are obscure. It is believed to come from a turn-of-the-century competition hosted by the Allentown Chamber of Commerce. The winning entry was said to be Queen City."
^Nazaryan, Alexander (12 March 2014).
"The Streets of Killadelphia". Newsweek (published March 12, 2014).
Archived from the original on September 6, 2017. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
^O'Brien, Jim; Marty Wolfson (1980). Pittsburgh, the story of the city of champions: the '70s—a decade unmatched in the annals of sports. Wolfson Pub. Co.
ISBN978-0-916114-07-7.
This partial list of city nicknames in Pennsylvania compiles the
aliases,
sobriquets and
slogans that
cities, boroughs, and towns in
Pennsylvania are known by (or have been known by historically), officially and unofficially, to municipal governments, local people, outsiders or their
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. Many of the unofficial nicknames listed here have been in use for a long time or have gained wide currency.
A sign proclaiming
Scranton as "The Electric City" overlooks Courthouse Square. The city got its moniker for being the site of the nation's first electric-powered
streetcars.
^Salter, Rosa (April 20, 2003). "Two in tune with the times ** At 175, Allentown Band, America's oldest, preserves best of tradition". The Morning Call. pp. E.01.. "1967: Allentown named Band City-U.S.A"
^Whelan, Frank (March 13, 2002). "Hamilton Street used to be thick with peanut shells ** And Allentown's Army Camp Crane once had a popular commander". The Morning Call. pp. B.04.. "Allentown's title as the Peanut City goes back to the late 19th and early 20th century when large amounts of them were eaten in the Lehigh Valley. From the 1880s to the 1920s, vendors lined Hamilton Street, singing jingles in Pennsylvania Dutch about the superior quality of their peanuts. Former Call-Chronicle Sunday editor John Y. Kohl recalled in 1967 that the peanuts were eaten mostly by young men and boys who would walk Hamilton Street on Saturday nights flirting with girls and 'throwing the shells about with complete abandon.' Sunday morning sidewalks were 'not quite ankle deep' in shells. Merchants would get up early to sweep them into the gutter so churchgoers would not have to wade through them.'"
^Whelan, Frank (May 7, 1991). "Cement City' Moniker Is A Mystery American Heritage Says Label Was Allentown's". The Morning Call. pp. B.03.. "Silk City for example, is a throwback to the late 19th and early 20th century, when Allentown was known for its many silk mills. Although the last mill closed a few years ago, the name hangs on in the minds of older residents."
^Whelan, Frank (May 7, 1991). "'Cement City' Moniker Is A Mystery American Heritage Says Label Was Allentown's". The Morning Call. pp. B.03.. "Queen City's origins as an Allentown nickname are obscure. It is believed to come from a turn-of-the-century competition hosted by the Allentown Chamber of Commerce. The winning entry was said to be Queen City."
^Nazaryan, Alexander (12 March 2014).
"The Streets of Killadelphia". Newsweek (published March 12, 2014).
Archived from the original on September 6, 2017. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
^O'Brien, Jim; Marty Wolfson (1980). Pittsburgh, the story of the city of champions: the '70s—a decade unmatched in the annals of sports. Wolfson Pub. Co.
ISBN978-0-916114-07-7.