by Joanna Rutter

1. The Third City

We’ve been calling High Point “the Third City” for a while here at Triad City Beat, but it hasn’t seemed to stick like Winston-Salem’s nickname, “Camel City” or “Twin City”, or Greensboro’s transportation-inspired “Gate City.” High Point needs some nickname love. Here are some other ideas.

2. North Carolina’s International City

This is the officially trademarked nickname on the city’s website, and it seems legit considering Furniture Market, but doesn’t seem to have caught on as far as we can tell. Maybe the 12 syllables kill it? Perhaps because it’s un-hashtag-able? It looks like for better or worse, this tagline’s sticking around, at least on all the official documents.

3. Market City

A tad obvious, but it is what High Point’s known for, packaged in a simpler form than No. 2. The word “market” is universal enough that the moniker could have a lasting and dual meaning for High Point’s furniture market, but also a growing industry of makers and small business owners.

4. Shake City

Since High Point was once home to the NC Shakes festival (RIP), why not memorialize the Bard and his presence here in a nickname, lending itself to another meaning: the city of movers and shakers. It’d also be great incentive for the milkshake industry to bring the boys to the yard.

5. Hype Point

This one is listed on High Point’s Wikipedia page (along with Furniture Capital of the World — not catchy) and it is actually… rather perfect. We want more hype here, right? Hype about the arts scene, hype about schools, hype about urban revitalization in general. So why not claim the word itself?

6. Ghost City

This one is inspired by artist Beka Butts of the 512 Collective’s description, who called High Point’s non-market week downtown the “prettiest little ghost town you ever saw.” But we bet some of our Hype Point readers can come up with an even better one.

Join the First Amendment Society, a membership that goes directly to funding TCB‘s newsroom.

We believe that reporting can save the world.

The TCB First Amendment Society recognizes the vital role of a free, unfettered press with a bundling of local experiences designed to build community, and unique engagements with our newsroom that will help you understand, and shape, local journalism’s critical role in uplifting the people in our cities.

All revenue goes directly into the newsroom as reporters’ salaries and freelance commissions.

⚡ Join The Society ⚡