List of city nicknames in Michigan

This partial list of city nicknames in Michigan compiles the aliases, sobriquets and slogans that cities in Michigan are known by (or have been known by historically), officially and unofficially, to locals, outsiders or their tourism boards. 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.Muench, David [http://www.uwex.edu/ces/cced/economies/communityindicators/communityslogans.pdf "Wisconsin Community Slogans: Their Use and Local Impacts"] , December 1993, accessed April 10, 2007.] They are also believed to have economic value, but that economic value is difficult to measure.

Some of the nicknames are positive, while others are derisive. The unofficial nicknames listed here are those that have been used for such a long time or have gained so wide a currency that they have become well-known in their own right.

*Ann Arbor
**A² or A-squared [ [http://www.privateonion.com/kerry.html Kerry Rutherford's Bio and Blog] August August 16, 2007] [ [http://polisci.lsa.umich.edu/documents/2006GraduateHandbook.pdf Michigan Lingo] in 2006 Graduate Handbook for the Political Science Department of the University of Michigan] [The city's official web site is www.a2gov.org]
**Tree Town [ [http://www.a2gov.org/government/publicservices/fieldoperations/forestry/Pages/Welcometowwwa2govorgtrees.aspx Replanting Tree Town] page on Ann Arbor City Government website (accessed January 12, 2008)] [http://www.a2gov.org/news/Documents/TTL_Nov_2007.pdf]
* Atlanta - Elk Capital of Michigan. [http://www.epodunk.com/slogans/animals.html Claims to Fame - Animals] , Epodunk, accessed April 16, 2007.]
* Battle Creek
**Breakfast Capital of the World [This moniker appears on the city seal, displayed on the [http://www.battlecreek.org/ Battle Creek city website] .]
**Cereal Bowl of the World. [http://www.epodunk.com/slogans/food.html Claims to Fame - Food] , Epodunk, accessed April 16, 2007.]
**Cereal City [ [http://www.animatingapothecary.com/miracles.htm The One Dollar Miracles of Battle Creek] by Jim Middleton]
* Bay City - the city by the bayFact|date=June 2008
* Belding - Apple Capital. [http://www.epodunk.com/slogans/agriculture.html Claims to Fame - Agriculture] , Epodunk, accessed April 16, 2007.]
* Berrien Springs - Christmas Pickle Capital of the World. [http://www.epodunk.com/slogans/index.html Claims to Fame - Favorites] , Epodunk, accessed April 16, 2007.]
* Cadillac - Cattletracks [ [http://www.lincolnvscadillac.com/archive/index.php/t-16171.html] "Mesick is in MI... LOL look halfway between Cattletracks (Cadillac) and Traverse City..." (Accessed July 23, 2007; A quick Web search for "Cattletracks Michigan" turns up numerous Web pages mentioning Cadillac by this name.)]
* Dearborn
* Dearborn Heights
* Detroit
**America's Comeback City
**Arsenal of Democracy cite journal|title=Detroit arcadia: Exploring the post-American Landscape|journal=Harper's Magazine|date=2007-07-01|first=Rebecca|last=Solnit|coauthors=|volume=157|issue=9|pages=65–73|id= |url=http://www.harpers.org/archive/2007/07/0081594|format=PDF|accessdate=2007-07-30]
**City of Trees
**City of the StraitsBarry Popik, [http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/summary12/ Smoky City] , barrypopik.com website, March 27, 2005]
**Hitsville, USA
**Hockeytown [ [http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2007/nov/15/mnatskanov-says-limo-crash-altered-lives-of-his/ Mnatsaknov says limo crash altered lives of his family : Ice Bears : Knoxville News Sentinel ] ] [ [http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=23223 Human Events ] ] [http://www.taglineguru.com/monikerlist.html U.S. City Monikers] website, accessed January 5, 2008]
**The Motor City. [http://www.epodunk.com/slogans/business.html Claims to Fame - Business] , Epodunk, accessed April 16, 2007.]
** Motown.
** The Paris of the Midwest. [http://www.greeningofdetroit.com/aboutus.htm The Greening of Detroit] , accessed May 8, 2007. "The Greening of Detroit seeks to return the city of Detroit to its former glory as "The City of Trees" and "The Paris of the Midwest" by reforesting the city through tree planting projects and by using environmental education to generate the resolve, the necessary support, and the essential abilities necessary to ensure a safe, sustainable ecosystem for healthy trees with the city of Detroit."]
** The Renaissance City. [ [http://www.fodors.com/miniguides/mgresults.cfm?destination=detroit@58&cur_section=sig&showover=yes Detroit: Sights & Activities] , Fodor's, accessed May 8, 2007. "Though the city nicknamed itself "Renaissance City" in the 1970s, it did little to deserve the title until recently."]
** America's Automotive Capital
* Eau Claire - Cherry Pit Spitting Capital of the World.
* Essexville - The gateway to the bayFact|date=June 2008
* Flint - The Birthplace of General Motors. [ [http://www.umflint.edu/international/aboutumflint.htm About the University of Michigan-Flint] , accessed May 8, 2007. "Flint is a mid-size city with a population of approximately 125,000. Although the city is best known as the birthplace of General Motors..."]
* Gaylord - The Alpine Village
* Grand Rapids - Furniture City. [ [http://www.ci.grand-rapids.mi.us/index.pl?page_id=551 More Than Furniture City] , accessed May 8, 2007. "After an 1876 international exhibition held in Philadelphia, Grand Rapids gained worldwide recognition as 'Furniture City.'"]
* Jackson - Birthplace of the Republican Party. [ [http://www.jacksonmich.com/markers/mark1.htm Birthplace of the Republican Party - "Under the Oaks"] , accessed May 8, 2007.]
* Kalamazoo
** Bedding Plant Capital of the World.
** Celery City..
** Mall City (First outdoor pedestrian mall in the US) [http://www.kalamazoomi.com/hisf.htm The History of Kalamazoo MI] , accessed May 8, 2007. "It's been called "The Paper City," for its many paper and cardboard mills; "The Celery City," after the crop once grown in the muck fields north, south, and east of town; and "The Mall City," after construction of the first outdoor pedestrian shopping mall in the United States in 1959. The fertile soil on which Kalamazoo is built has led the area to most recently be called the "Bedding Plant Capital of the World," as the county is home to the largest bedding plant cooperative in the U.S. "]
** The Paper City.
* Mesick - Mushroom Capital of the World.
* Muskegon
** The Beer Tent Capital of the World. [Burns, Robert C. [http://downtownmuskegon.org/recentnews-sept13-06.shtml "Brewmaster to create ale, pub downtown"] , "Muskegon Chronicle", September 13, 2006. Accessed May 8, 2007. "Although Muskegon is known by some, very informally, as the 'Beer Tent Capital of the World,' the business plan cites 'an enormous unmet need in the microbrewery market in Muskegon.'"]
** Port City. [http://www.muskegon-mi.gov/community/history/History_of_Muskegon.asp History of Muskegon] , accessed May 8, 2007. "A river meets the lake at a place that’s been know as the Lumber Queen of the world, the Port City and the Riviera of the Midwest; our own Muskegon."]
** The Riviera of the Midwest.
** Lumber Queen of the World.
* Newberry - Moose Capital of Michigan. [ [http://www.newberrychamber.net/ Official Newberry Michigan Area Chamber of Commerce] , accessed May 8, 2007. "Snowmobile the Moose Capital of Michigan & Tahquamenon Country!"]
* Niles - The City of Four Flags. [ [http://www.ci.niles.mi.us/ City of Niles] . Motto listed on web site logo, accessed May 8, 2007.]
* Onaway - Sturgeon Capital of Michigan. [http://www.epodunk.com/slogans/fish.html Claims to Fame - Fish] , Epodunk, accessed April 16, 2007.]
* Romulus
** Home to Detroit Metro Airport
** Gateway to the World
** Land of Many Ditches
** Rom-City
* South Haven - Blueberry Capital of the World.
* Strongs - Black Bear Capital of MichiganFact|date=October 2008
* Traverse City - Cherry Capital of the World. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=travel&res=9F0CE6DC1430F931A2575AC0A965958260 The World Capital of Whatever] , "The New York Times" by Harold Faber, September 12, 1993.]

ee also

*List of city nicknames in the United States
*List of cities in Michigan

References

External links

* [http://got.net/~landauer/lists/CityOf.html a list] of American and a few Canadian nicknames
* [http://www.usacitiesonline.com/mottos.htm U.S. cities list]