Nicknames of Atlanta
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An 1859 industrial journal was among the first to note nicknames for
Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
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An orator claimed for it the signification of ''"a city among the hills''" while a writer has declared that it was the opposite of ''"rus in urbe"'' ("country in the city") and proclaimed it ''"'the city in the woods"''.
Since then, the city has known numerous nicknames. As of the 2010s, The ATL, and The A are the most prevalent.


Atlanta nicknames

* Contemporary nicknames of Atlanta include, in alphabetical order: ** The A/da A: It is used in local media such as Only in the A, a video channel shown on
MARTA Marta may refer to: People * Marta (given name), a feminine given name * Märta, a feminine given name * Marta (surname) :István Márta composer * Marta (footballer) (born 1986), Brazilian professional footballer Places * Marta (river), an ...
rapid transit trains in Atlanta, The Indispensable A, an Atlanta-based email publication, and Straight from the A, an Atlanta-based blog targeted at African Americans. "The A" or "da A" is also used in hip hop and rap songs such as
Ludacris Christopher Brian Bridges (born September 11, 1977), known professionally as Ludacris (, homophonous with 'ludicrous' in American English), is an American rapper, actor, record producer and record executive. Born in Champaign, Illinois, Ludac ...
and Lloyd's "How We Do It (in da A)",
Lil Scrappy Darryl Raynard Richardson III (born January 19, 1984), better known by his stage name Lil Scrappy, is an American rapper. Richardson was discovered by producer and performer Lil Jon while performing at a bar in Atlanta. Along with labelmates Tr ...
's "The A", and T.I.'s "In da A". Atlanta newspaper ''
Creative Loafing Creative Loafing is an Atlanta-based publisher of a monthly arts and culture newspaper/magazine. The company publishes a 60,000 circulation monthly publication which is distributed to in-town locations and neighborhoods on the first Thursday of ...
'' listed as one of its "reasons to love Atlanta" that it's "the only city easily identified by just one letter". ** A-Town ** The ATL, for its airport code ** The Big A, trucker CB slang ** The Big PeachU.S. City Monikers
Tagline Guru website, accessed January 5, 2008
**Black Hollywood, Atlanta is home to a thriving black entertainment industry. ** Black gay mecca **
Black mecca A black mecca, in the United States, is a city to which African Americans, particularly singles, professionals, and middle-class families, are drawn to live, due to some or all of the following factors: * superior economic opportunities for blac ...
"A CHAMPION FOR ATLANTA: Maynard Jackson: 'Black mecca' burgeoned under leader", ''Atlanta Journal-Constitution'', June 29, 2003."the city that calls itself America's ' Black Mecca'"; in William Booth, "Atlanta Is Less Than Festive on Eve of Another 'Freaknik'", ''Washington Post'', April 18, 1996."'The Black Mecca' leads the nation in numbers of African American millionaires; at the same time, it leads the nation in the percentage of its children in poverty"; in
Robert D. Bullard Robert Doyle Bullard (born December 21, 1946) is an American academic who is the former Dean of the Barbara Jordan - Mickey Leland School Of Public Affairs (October 2011 – August 2016) and currently Distinguished Professor at Texas Southern U ...

''The Black Metropolis in the Twenty-first Century: Race, Power, and Politics''
Rowman & Littlefield, 2007, p. 151.
**Capital City of the American South ** City in a Forest or City of Trees, for its unique tree canopy ** Dogwood City ** Empire City of the South **
Hot 'Lanta "Hot 'Lanta" is an instrumental piece performed by the Allman Brothers Band. It debuted on their live album ''At Fillmore East'', released in July 1971, the fifth track on the album. "Hotlanta" is a controversial nickname for Atlanta, Georgia, and ...
, also spelled Hotlanta, first popularized by an instrumental song performed by the Allman Brothers Band. It debuted on their live album ''At Fillmore East'', released in July 1971, the fifth song on the album. **
Hollywood of the South The film industry in Georgia is the largest among the List of states and territories of the United States, states of the United States for production of feature films by number of films produced, as of 2016. Atlanta is the center of the film indu ...
, became popular recently due to the city's boom in the film industry. ** LGBT Capital of the South ** Running City USA ** Silicon Peach **
Wakanda Wakanda () is a fictional country appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Wakanda has been depicted as being in East Africa. It is located in sub-Saharan Africa, and is home to the superhero Black Panther. Wakanda first app ...
: Atlanta has been compared to the fictional country that is the home of the
Black Panther A black panther is the melanistic colour variant of the leopard (''Panthera pardus'') and the jaguar (''Panthera onca''). Black panthers of both species have excess black pigments, but their typical rosettes are also present. They have been d ...
in the
Marvel Comics Universe The Marvel Universe is a fictional shared universe where the stories in most American comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Comics take place. Super-teams such as the Avengers, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, the Guardians of th ...
, and portions of the 2018 film ''
Black Panther A black panther is the melanistic colour variant of the leopard (''Panthera pardus'') and the jaguar (''Panthera onca''). Black panthers of both species have excess black pigments, but their typical rosettes are also present. They have been d ...
'' were filmed in the Atlanta metro area. Rapper and Atlanta native
Killer Mike Michael Santiago Render (born April 20, 1975), better known by his stage name Killer Mike, is an American rapper, actor, and activist. Mike made his debut on Outkast's 2000 LP ''Stankonia'', and later appeared on their Grammy-winning single " ...
told
Stephen Colbert Stephen Tyrone Colbert ( ; born May 13, 1964) is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He is best known for hosting the satirical Comedy Central program ''The Colbert Report'' from 2005 to ...
, "Atlanta is Wakanda, for real.". * Historical nicknames for the city include: ** Gate City, Gate City of the South, or Gate City of the New South (from Reconstruction through the early 20th century)"Our Quiz Column", ''Sunny South'', p.5
/ref> ** New York of the SouthSources documented on Barry Popik'
Big Apple
blog: * 5 October 1872, ''Appletons' Journal of Literature, Science and Art'', pg. 376: "Marvellous tales are told of this antique period in the history of the present 'New York of the South,' concerning acres upon acres of land, near the heart of the city, selling for fifty cents per acre, but which now are worth a snug little fortune. Such was Atlanta less than three decades ago." * 17 June 1879, ''Daily Constitution'' (Atlanta, GA), pg. 4: "...the future New York of the south,France of Britain- as it was predicted at the opening of the Port Royal railroad in 1873." * The Mother Of Continental Parliaments * 6 July 1881, ''The New York Times'', pg. 4: "The New-Orleans Democrat says that that city is the New-York of the South, and yet has no public library." * 29 January 1884, ''Atlanta Constitution'', pg. 4: "The New York of the South. From the New York Tribune: THE ATLANTA CONSTITUTION draws a sad picture of its environment. "Within one hundred yards of the officer," is its plaintive mean, "wagons are literally up to the hub in mud. Part of Ellis street, in a quarter mile of the depot, is literally impassable." Assuming that our contemporary's account of these wagons and this streets is literally correct, it looks as if Atlanta was likely to be known as the New York of the south." * 12 November 1891, ''Atlanta Constitution'', pg. 4: "Atlanta is a grand city. It is the New York of the south, and henceforth it can get the finest attractions produced, for its patronage is sufficient to make the very best and most expensive show a financial success." * 21 October 1892, ''Atlanta Constitution'', pg. 5: "Work will cease altogether and the New York of the south will pay honor to the brave navigator, who in spite of the hardships he had to endure, pointed out a new land to the ignorant people of the time." * 19 January 1895, ''Atlanta Constitution'', pg. 4: "Cedartown Standard: Atlanta aspires to be the New York of the south - in fact, she is, and so it is perfectly natural that she should follow New York in having the big police scandal and investigation that is now on hand
(1870s–1890s) ** Chicago of the South (1880s–1900s): for Atlanta's "new men, new industries, new buildings, and new spirit" - though it was often remarked that the nickname was not quite accurate in terms of the size of Atlanta vs. the much larger Chicago ** The City Too Busy to Hate (during
Jim Crow The Jim Crow laws were state and local laws enforcing racial segregation in the Southern United States. Other areas of the United States were affected by formal and informal policies of segregation as well, but many states outside the Sout ...
and the Civil Rights struggle) ** Convention City of Dixie (Land) (1910s–1920s) ** Dogwood City


Nicknames of other Atlanta areas


SWATS

SWATS, The S.W.A.T.S. or S.W.A.T.S. ("Southwest Atlanta, too strong") is, in street, hip-hop, or local contexts,
Southwest Atlanta : The city of Atlanta, Georgia is made up of 243 neighborhoods officially defined by the city. These neighborhoods are a mix of traditional neighborhoods, subdivisions, or groups of subdivisions. The neighborhoods are grouped by the city planni ...
, plus territory extending into the adjacent cities of College Park and
East Point East Point is the name of several places: In Australia * East Point, Northern Territory ** East Point Military museum located in East Point, Northern Territory In Canada *East Point, Prince Edward Island In Hong Kong: *East Point, Hong Kong In ...
. The term "SWATS" came into vogue around 1996 and was initially made popular by
LaFace Records LaFace Records was an American record label based in Atlanta, Georgia, that operated as a unit of Sony Music Entertainment from 2008 to 2011 and was historically a part of Bertelsmann Music Group from 1989 to 2004. It was most active and achie ...
groups OutKast and
Goodie Mob Goodie Mob is an American hip hop group based in Atlanta, Georgia, consisting of CeeLo Green, Khujo, T-Mo, and Big Gipp. History The group was formed in 1991 by Cameron " Big Gipp" Gipp, Willie "Khujo" Knighton Jr., CeeLo Green (born Thoma ...
. This was the same time that "ATL" became popular as a nickname for Atlanta as a whole. SWATS in Lyrics The OutKast song " Peaches (Intro)" states: "For ... the SWATS ... Cause it ain't nuttin but King Shit, all day, err'day". Another Outkast song, "Ova da Wudz" states "put the SWATS, SWATS on your car."
Goodie Mob Goodie Mob is an American hip hop group based in Atlanta, Georgia, consisting of CeeLo Green, Khujo, T-Mo, and Big Gipp. History The group was formed in 1991 by Cameron " Big Gipp" Gipp, Willie "Khujo" Knighton Jr., CeeLo Green (born Thoma ...
song "I Refuse Limitation" states "SWATS G.A. by way of Cascade Heights", while their song "Goodie Bag" states "Cause in da SWAT's red hots don't drip or bleed", and in "All A's",
Cee Lo Green Cee or CEE may refer to: * C, third letter of the Latin alphabet * Cee, Spain, A Coruña, Galicia * Center for Excellence in Education, US * Central and Eastern Europe * Centre for Environment Education * Centre for the Economics of Education, Lon ...
's chorus states "But don't you dare ride through the SWATS without, at least 30 shots".
Erick Sermon Erick Sermon (born November 25, 1968) is an American rapper, musician, and record producer. He is best known as one-third—alongside PMD & DJ Scratch—of 1980s/1990s hip hop group EPMD and for his production work. Career Sermon started profe ...
rapped "I'm in New York now but I represent the SWATS and A-Town.", in his song "Future Thug" from his sixth solo album '
Chilltown, New York ''Chilltown, New York'' is the sixth solo studio album by American rapper and producer Erick Sermon. It was released on June 22, 2004 via Def Squad/Universal Motown Records Group. Recording sessions took place at L.I.T.E. Recording Studios in Long ...
' in 2004. Media and artists named after SWATS S.W.A.T.S. is the name of a 2010
web television Streaming television is the digital distribution of television content, such as TV shows, as streaming media delivered over the Internet. Streaming television stands in contrast to dedicated terrestrial television delivered by over-the-air aer ...
series by Golden Street Entertainment taking place in Southwest Atlanta. S.W.A.T.S. is the name of a song by rap group 9.17 on the album ''Southern Empire'' released by Motown in 2001. Young Ju King of da SWATS is an artist featured on ReverbNation. Also referenced as location of "Gina's Beauty Shop" in the movie with Queen Latifah.


Nawf Atlanta

Nawf Atlanta, or Nawfside is, a term popularized by rap trio
Migos Migos () is an American hip hop trio from Lawrenceville, Georgia, founded in 2008. The group was originally composed of Southern rappers Quavo, Takeoff, and Offset. Quavo is from Athens, Georgia; Offset and Takeoff were born and raised in Law ...
in reference to their place of origin
Gwinnett County Gwinnett County ( ) is located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. It forms part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. In 2020, the population was 957,062, making it the second-most populous county in Georgia (after Fulton C ...
, which is located North of the City of Atlanta proper.


See also

*
List of city nicknames in Georgia (U.S. state) This partial list of city nicknames in Georgia compiles the aliases, sobriquets and slogans that cities in Georgia are known by (or have been known by historically), officially and unofficially, to municipal governments, local people, outsiders or ...


References

{{Atlanta history
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
Culture of Atlanta