Everybody knows that New York is called ‘ The Big Apple ’ , that London is known as ‘ The Old Smoke ’ and that Paris is referred to as ‘ The City of Love ’ – but do you know why ? Some nicknames refer to the ancient heritage of the city , some refer to the industry found in the city , some refer to the cities ’ environment – there are a variety of reasons these cities have earned their unique monikers . Flights company Just The Flight have researched city nicknames all over the world , finding out the real stories behind each and every one of them to produce a handy infographic . Taking a wild guess at why Las Vegas is often referred to as ‘ Sin City ’ , for example , might seem incredibly obvious - but the nickname actually came about before the Las Vegas was even built . In fact , it stemmed from a street known as Block 16 that became famous in the early 1900s for selling alcohol and for offering prostitution . Harry Peters , from Just The Flight , told MailOnline Travel : 'Block 16 and the surrounding area was demolished after the Second World War , and Las Vegas as we know it today was built up around it – but the ‘ Sin City ’ nickname has stuck , and is still rather relevant today . ' Singapore , or ‘ Lion City ’ , is another interesting one . ‘ Singapura ’ literally translates to ‘ Lion City ’ but the reason for the name came about as the founder , Sir Stamford Raffles , supposedly saw a merlion – a mix between a mermaid and a lion – despite lions not even being native to the city at all . Some nicknames come from terms journalists have used to describe the city and some , such as Dallas being known as ‘ Big D ’ , don ’ t quite have the same history to them . Las Vegas is known as Sin City now for it 's gambling and temptation - but the nickname dates back to a building used by prostitutes . The history of Philadelphia is recognised by its nickname of 'The City Of Brotherly Love ' . English Quaker William Penn founded the city in 1682 and wanted it to be a place of harmony and substance . Amsterdam in the Netherlands is known for its great number of canals , and so even if you did n't know , you could understand why it is known as 'The Venice Of The North . ' Venice , however is n't known as 'The Amsterdam Of The South ' . The northeastern city has the tag 'The Bride Of The Sea , ' that relates to a ceremony where the doge ( leader ) throws a ring into the sea so that Venice is 'married . ' And Paris might be known as 'The City Of Love ' for its romantic architecture and stunning landmarks , but it is tagged 'The City Of Light ' after it became the first in Europe to use electric street lamps .
Las Vegas ' nickname of Sin City relates to a building prostitutes used . Comment: Singapore literally translates as Lion City after founder said he saw a 'merlion ' - a cross between a mermaid and lion .