Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

has many

nickname A nickname is a substitute for the proper name of a familiar person, place or thing. Commonly used to express affection, a form of endearment, and sometimes amusement, it can also be used to express defamation of character. As a concept, it is ...

s, inspired by various historical contexts. They include: ;The City on a Hill: came from governor

John Winthrop John Winthrop (January 12, 1587/88 – March 26, 1649) was an English Puritan lawyer and one of the leading figures in founding the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the second major settlement in New England following Plymouth Colony. Winthrop led t ...

's goal, of the original

Massachusetts Bay Colony The Massachusetts Bay Colony (1630–1691), more formally the Colony of Massachusetts Bay, was an English settlement on the east coast of North America around the Massachusetts Bay, the northernmost of the several colonies later reorganized as the ...

, to create the biblical "City on a Hill." It also refers to the original three hills of Boston. ;The Hub: is a shortened form of a phrase recorded by writer Oliver Wendell Holmes, ''The Hub of the Solar System.'' This has since developed into ''The Hub of the Universe''. ;The Athens of America: is a title given by

William Tudor William Tudor (March 28, 1750 – July 8, 1819) was a wealthy lawyer and leading citizen of Boston, Massachusetts. His eldest son William Tudor (1779–1830) became a leading literary figure in Boston. Another son, Frederic Tudor, founded t ...

, co-founder of the ''

North American Review The ''North American Review'' (NAR) was the first literary magazine in the United States. It was founded in Boston in 1815 by journalist Nathan Hale and others. It was published continuously until 1940, after which it was inactive until revived a ...

'', for Boston's great cultural and intellectual influence. Also a nickname of

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

. ;The Puritan City: was given in reference to the religion of the city's founders. ;The Cradle of Liberty: derives from Boston's role in instigating the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolut ...

. Also a nickname of Philadelphia. ;City of Notions: was coined at least as early as 1823. ;America's Walking City: was given due to Boston's compact nature and high

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

, which have made walking an effective and popular mode of transit in the city. Boston has the seventh-highest percentage of pedestrian commuters of any city in the United States, while neighboring

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...

has the highest. ;Beantown:refers to the regional dish of

Boston baked beans Boston baked beans are a variety of baked beans, sweetened with molasses, and flavored with salt pork or bacon. History Native Americans had made corn bread and baked beans. The Pilgrims at Plymouth Colony learned these recipes in the early ...

. In colonial days, a favorite Boston food was beans slow-baked in molasses. ;Titletown: refers to Boston's historic dominance in professional sports, specifically the

Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...

, who have won 17 NBA Championships, and the

New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...

, who have won six Super Bowl Titles. ;City of Champions: much like Titletown—refers to Boston's history of dominance in sports, with the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...

Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team has been in existence since 1924, making t ...

, and

each having won multiple national championships. ;The Olde Towne: comes from the fact that Boston is one of the oldest cities in the United States. It is also used in reference to the Boston Red Sox (''The Olde Towne Team'').Entries from Bostonist Tagged with "Olde Towne Team"

References

{{BostonMA Culture of Boston

See also

References