Coziness comes in many forms and the naming of things in the cityscape is one way Brits make the large metropolis familiar terrain, helping to orient and comfort tourists and citizens alike. Thus, the British superpower can be summed up in their naming (and nicknaming) of things—train lines, buildings, nothing escapes the mission of familiarizing. London, in the early aughts, saw a skyscraper boon and each odd edifice received a moniker of derision or delight. Famous examples include the pregnant Mommy, the spiky Shard, the Walkie-Talkie and the Cheese Grater.
Photo from The Independent Online News Source
Photo from The Independent Online News Source
Boston, too, has its monikers for our own two skyscrapers who I often liken to existing in a frosty marriage. Said arrangement includes the stern Prudential tower (the Pru) and the lean, blue John Hancock Tower (the magnanimous giant and the tallest building in all of New England). It's curious to note that the wretched new Sheraton tower just southwest of the The Pru does not yet have a nickname (I see it as an interloper and dark presence in said frosty marriage). So if a building does not have a nickname, does that indicate it has been rejected by the public at large?
Another aspect of London's cozy approach to its cityscape is the naming of tube lines. The traditional eleven are listed here in alphabetical order:
-Bakerloo
-Central
-Circle
-District
-Hammersmith & City
-Jubilee
-Metropolitan
-Northern
-Piccadilly
-Victoria
-Waterloo & City
Added to the mix is the DLR (Dockland Light Rail), the Croydon tram, and the new urban/suburban cross-rail line known as The Elizabeth Line (who some refer to affectionately as The Lizzie Line). This animating is unique to world capitals (although Tokyo and Vancouver have names for their lines also). New York and Paris rest on mundane numbers and letters while Boston has a color scheme. Charm demands familiarity and this is where London shines. There's even a comedic skit called "If Tube Lines Were People." There is even a recent attempt to name six new Overground lines, a pushy move that critics say is too on-the-nose or even "woke". These names include Liberty, Lionness, Midmay, Suffragette, Weaver, and Windrush.
If Tube Lines Were People, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4e-Al90tSs&t=193s
One facet of cityscape naming and nicknaming where London falters is the naming of streets. How many avenues, ways and streets are named after Queen Victoria? Put another way: when will the insanity stop?
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