Nicknames for New York, London, and Paris... Why Doesn't Seoul Have One? [Curiosity Lab]

New York City promoting 'I♥NY'
[Photo by New York City]

The world’s greatest city, New York, is well known for ‘I♥NY’. The heart (♥) was not previously used as a symbol for love, but it became popular and came to symbolize New York after Milton Glaser used it in the New York slogan in 1977. New York has nicknames such as The Big Apple and The City that Never Sleeps. There are several theories about The Big Apple: one is that it is one of many fruits on the giant tree called America, but it sucked too much sap; another is that it came from the title of a newspaper column about New York’s large and lucrative horse racing scene. The Big Apple became widely famous after the New York Tourism Board started using it in the 1970s.

Is New York the only city that never sleeps? According to World Atlas, the top 10 cities that never sleep include New York, Athens in Greece, Beirut in Lebanon, Buenos Aires in Argentina, Cairo in Egypt, Hong Kong, Madrid in Spain, Marrakech in Morocco, and Montevideo in Uruguay.

‘I♥NY’ New York is The Big Apple... London is The Big Smoke

During the past industrialization era, London had a lot of smog and fog, earning it the nickname "Big Smoke." The photo shows a view of the London Eye.

Major cities around the world have nicknames. Unlike slogans (which are led by local governments), nicknames are rooted in the history, culture, and industries of the region. In the U.S., Las Vegas is literally the city of pleasure and is called Sin City due to its crime; Chicago is known as The Windy City because of its strong winds. Miami is called Magic City because it became a city in a short time like magic, and Little Cuba due to its large Cuban immigrant population. Los Angeles, once known to us as LaSeong (a combination of LA and City), has the nickname The City of Angels, just like its city name. Reflecting local industry characteristics, Detroit, once the automotive mecca, is called Motor City, and Pittsburgh is known as Steel City or Iron City.

New Orleans, the city of jazz, is called The Big Easy because of its relaxed and easygoing lifestyle. ‘NOLA’ is an abbreviation for New Orleans Louisiana, and the city hall also uses the abbreviation ‘NOLA’. ‘Dixieland’ comes from ‘Dixie,’ which refers to the southern United States, and is derived from the jazz genre that developed in New Orleans. The shape created by the Mississippi River resembles a crescent moon, so New Orleans is also called The Crescent City. San Francisco is nicknamed Frisco and The Golden City, and because it is located by the San Francisco Bay, it is also called The City by the Bay.

The representative Mardi Gras festival of New Orleans

Before New York, London in the United Kingdom was the world’s center and is known for having many nicknames. The most representative are The Big Smoke and Old Smoke (due to the smog that once covered the city), The Square Mile (financial district), The Capital, Metropolis, The Swinging City (a dynamic city), The Dream City, The Global City, The Green City, LDN (abbreviation for London), and Londontown.

Paris is Love, Rome is Eternal, Venice is The City of Water

Among European cities, Paris in France is known as The City of Love and The City of Light, and Bordeaux is, as expected, The City of Wine. Rome in Italy is The Eternal City, Milan is the world’s fashion capital, and Tivoli is The City of Joy. Venice (Venezia), known as The City of Water, has another nickname: The Bride of the Sea. This comes from an ancient symbolic ceremony where Venice was wed to the sea.

Venice, known as the City of Water

Amsterdam in the Netherlands is called The Venice of the North, Cairo in Egypt is The Paris of the Nile, and Buenos Aires is The Paris of South America. Barcelona in Spain is called Ciudad Condal, meaning The City of Counts in Spanish, and Salzburg in Austria is known as The Rome of the North. Berlin in Germany has the nickname The Grey City. It is called the grey city not because of gloominess but because almost all buildings were destroyed during World War II and many practical grey buildings were constructed during the Cold War.

Beijing is The Forbidden City, but why don’t Tokyo and Seoul have nicknames... What if Seoul had one?

Panoramic view of the Forbidden City in Beijing.

Do the capitals of Korea, China, and Japan have nicknames? Beijing in China is nicknamed The Forbidden City. Tokyo in Japan was once called 八百八町 (Happ?-hatch?), literally “the city of 808 towns.” In reality, there are more than that. Inspired by New York’s Big Apple, the term ‘Big Mikan’ (Big Tangerine) was used but it is not well known. Tokyo’s current slogan is “Tokyo Tokyo Old Meets New,” meaning that visitors should come at least twice to experience both the past and present. Its abbreviation is ‘Tokyo Tokyo.’

Tokyo, Japan is hosting various events over the two months of June and July to promote the slogan "Tokyo Tokyo."
[Photo by Tokyo Metropolitan Government]

Seoul has been called Hansung, Hanyang, Gyeongseong, among other names, but it has no nickname. In the past, in online communities, it was mocked as ‘SimCity Seoul’?a reference to the simulation game?implying a city of chaotic development. Currently, Seoul’s slogan is ‘Seoul, My Soul.’ During Mayor Lee Myung-bak’s term in 2002, the slogan ‘Hi Seoul’ was used, and after Mayor Oh Se-hoon took office in 2006, ‘Soul of Asia’ was added to ‘Hi Seoul’ and used together. In 2015, Mayor Park Won-soon changed it to ‘I Seoul U,’ but Mayor Oh later revived the ‘Soul’ slogan. The rhyme between Seoul and Soul and the various meanings of soul that can be attached to Seoul seem to be the reason behind this. Opinions vary. Personally, I don’t like Hi Seoul, I Seoul U, or Seoul My Soul.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon poses with three artists who participated in the production of Seoul Goods collaboration works. From the left, artist Hong Won-pyo, Mayor Oh, artist Lee Sa-ra, and artist Artnom. Photo by Seoul City

Seoul is an interesting city. In the city center, there are palaces where kings once lived, and you can find mountains and rivers. You can eat, drink, enjoy, rest, and sleep?all the ‘go-go-go’ activities. Even at night and dawn, visiting mountains, parks, and entertainment districts is safer than in many other countries. Wouldn’t it be a pity if such Seoul were confined within the label Soul City? Using ‘holic’ to mean being addicted to Seoul, nicknames like Holic City or City of Holic, or using ‘tonic’ to imply vitality, like Tonic City, might be interesting. Considering the popularity of Hallyu, nicknames like The Kapital (The Capital of K) or City of K also come to mind. This is just a rough idea. Unlike slogans, nicknames are not something that can be decided just by saying so, but it would be nice if Seoul had its own nickname or affectionate name.