Entry from
July 19, 2004
City That Never Sleeps
In the song "New York, New York," Frank Sinatra said that he wanted to wake up in a city that doesn't sleep. The phrase is much, much older than the song.
San Francisco also used this nickname, but it belongs to New York. Sleep on it.
6 September 1912, Fort Wayne (Indiana) News, pg. 9, col. 4:
NEW YORK TO BE CITY
OF PERPETUAL LIGHT
GREATEST GAS PLANT IN THE
WORLD TO BE ERECTED--WILL
MAKE IT CITY THAT
NEVER GROWS DARK.
NEW YORK, Sept. 6.--In addition to the greatest electric lighting plant New York is now to have the greatest gas plant in the world, surpassing even that which supplies the needs of London, and as a result is soon to add to its title of the city that never sleeps that of the city that never grows dark.
The following titles illustrate the popularity of this nickname:
1924--THE CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS, a film directed by Jame Cruze.
1928--WHILE THE CITY SLEEPS, a film starring Lon Chaney.
1928--"When the City Sleeps," a poem, FORUM, pg. 489.
1953--CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS, a film starring Gig Young and Edward Arnold, with location shooting in Chicago.
1956--WHILE THE CITY SLEEPS, a film starring Dana Andrews and Ida Lupino.
1958--WHILE THE CITY SLEEPS, a song recorded by Polly Bergen.
1966--THE CITY NEVER SLEEPS AT NIGHT, a Lee Hazelwood song recorded by Nancy Sinatra.
1983--THIS CITY NEVER SLEEPS, a song recorded by the Eurythmics.
1984--WELCOME TO SALA, THE CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS, a recording with music from the city in Java, Indonesia.
1986--SOWETO NEVER SLEEPS, a recording.
San Francisco also used this nickname, but it belongs to New York. Sleep on it.
6 September 1912, Fort Wayne (Indiana) News, pg. 9, col. 4:
NEW YORK TO BE CITY
OF PERPETUAL LIGHT
GREATEST GAS PLANT IN THE
WORLD TO BE ERECTED--WILL
MAKE IT CITY THAT
NEVER GROWS DARK.
NEW YORK, Sept. 6.--In addition to the greatest electric lighting plant New York is now to have the greatest gas plant in the world, surpassing even that which supplies the needs of London, and as a result is soon to add to its title of the city that never sleeps that of the city that never grows dark.
The following titles illustrate the popularity of this nickname:
1924--THE CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS, a film directed by Jame Cruze.
1928--WHILE THE CITY SLEEPS, a film starring Lon Chaney.
1928--"When the City Sleeps," a poem, FORUM, pg. 489.
1953--CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS, a film starring Gig Young and Edward Arnold, with location shooting in Chicago.
1956--WHILE THE CITY SLEEPS, a film starring Dana Andrews and Ida Lupino.
1958--WHILE THE CITY SLEEPS, a song recorded by Polly Bergen.
1966--THE CITY NEVER SLEEPS AT NIGHT, a Lee Hazelwood song recorded by Nancy Sinatra.
1983--THIS CITY NEVER SLEEPS, a song recorded by the Eurythmics.
1984--WELCOME TO SALA, THE CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS, a recording with music from the city in Java, Indonesia.
1986--SOWETO NEVER SLEEPS, a recording.