Seven City

"Seven City" (or "7 City") is a nickname for the Hampton Roads/Tidewater area of Virginia. The term "Seven City" was birthed in the city of Newport News and was popularized by its residents as well as local DJ’s the Boodah Brothers of 103 JAMZ. The name came about around the year 2000 and has since become synonymous with the area. The moniker was developed to give an identifier to the region and to create unity amongst the main seven different cities. Many believe this occurred because of the lack of any major sports franchise in the area that would more than likely alleviate the need for this idea.

The Cities that make up the Seven City are: Chesapeake , Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk, and Virginia Beach.

Although the term "Seven City" appears to be grammatically incorrect, the word "Seven" is representative of the actual name of the city as well as the number of cities included in the region. Local print publications became aware of the term and misconstrued the slang & began to print and advertise the area as " “The Seven Cities” ". Although the term "“Seven Cities”" deviates from the true reason for the nickname it is received by residents as well. The two terms have been coupled alongside each other to show that both are accepted:

"7 Cities, 1 Love… Seven City, VA"

The Seven City is known for its Musical Diversity and its intense High School Sports Culture, Marching Bands, and Step Competitions.

Demographics

Chesapeake

Estimated Population 199,184
"Male – 48.56 Female – 51.44"

White – 66.87
Black – 28.53
Hispanic – 2.05
Asian – 1.84
Native American - .39 Other - .32

Hampton

Estimated Population 146,437
"Male – 49.56 Female – 50.44"

White – 49.55
Black – 44.68
Hispanic – 2.84
Asian – 1.84
Other - .67
Native American - .42

Newport News

Estimated Population – 180,150
"Male – 48.39 Female – 51.61"

White – 53.5
Black – 39.07
Hispanic – 4.22
Asian – 2.33
Other - .46
Native American - .42

Norfolk

Estimated Population 234,403
"Male – 51.12 Female – 48.88"
White – 48.36
Black – 44.11
Hispanic – 3.8
Asian – 2.81
Native American - .46
Other - .46

Portsmouth

Estimated Population 100,565
"Male – 48.31 Female – 51.69"

Black – 50.61
White – 45.84
Hispanic – 1.74
Asian – .77
Other - .56
Native American - .48

Suffolk

Estimated Population 63,677
"Male – 47.76 Female – 52.24"

White – 53.85
Black – 43.53
Hispanic – 1.27
Asian – .77
Other - .55
Native American - .03

Virginia Beach

Estimated Population 425,257
"Male – 49.51 Female – 50.49"

White – 71.41
Black – 18.95
Asian – 4.91
Hispanic – 4.18
Native American - .38
Other - .17

Total Estimated Population - 1.3 - 1.7 million

Individual City Nicknames

Chesapeake – " "Chesafreak" "

Hampton – " "H-Town" "

Newport News – " "Bad News" "

Norfolk – " "Shark City" "

Portsmouth – " "P-Town" "

Suffolk – " "Suffolkation" "

Virginia Beach – " "Va. Beach" "

"The Seven City is broken up into 2 parts:"

The Southside – "Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk, & Virginia Beach"

The Pen (Peninsula) – "Hampton & Newport News"

"Each refers to the other side as being from " ‘Cross The Water " "

Closely Associated Cities

" Yorktown, Williamsburg (Da Burg), Smithfield, Franklin (Frank-Town) "

Public High Schools

Chesapeake

Deep Creek High

Grassfield High

Great Bridge High

Hickory High

Indian River High

Oscar F. Smith High

Western Branch High

Hampton

Bethel High

Hampton High

Kecoughtan High

Phoebus High

Newport News

Denbigh High

Heritage High

Menchville High

Warwick High

Woodside High

Norfolk

Booker T. Washington High

Granby High

Lake Taylor High

Maury High

Norview High

Portsmouth

Churchland High

Norcom High

Wilson High

Suffolk

King’s Fork High

Lakeland High

Nansemond River High

Virginia Beach

Bayside High

First Colonial High

Floyd Kellam High

Frank W. Cox High

Green Run High

Kempsville High

Landstown High

Ocean Lakes High

Princess Anne High

Salem High

Tallwood High

Noteworthy Residents

Chesapeake

* Dré Bly – professional football player with the Denver Broncos

* Chris Crocker – professional football player with the Atlanta Falcons

* Michael Cuddyer – professional baseball right fielder for the Minnesota Twins

* Kenny Easley – professional football player with the Seattle Seahawks

* Jeff Falk – NASCAR driver

* DeAngelo Hall – professional football cornerback for the Oakland Raiders

* Ashton Lewis – NASCAR driver

* Alonzo Mourning – professional basketball player for the Miami Heat

* Darren Perry – football player with the Pittsburgh Steelers

* Ricky Rudd – professional NASCAR race car driver

* Josh Rupe – professional baseball pitcher for the Texas Rangers

* Elton Sawyer – NASCAR driver

* B.J. Upton – professional baseball shortstop for the Tampa Bay Rays; drafted #2 overall in 2002

* Justin Upton – B.J.'s younger brother, a professional baseball player drafted #1 overall in 2005 by the Arizona Diamondbacks

* David Wright – professional baseball starting third basemen for the New York Mets

Hampton

* Allen Iverson – professional basketball player, point guard for the Denver Nuggets

* Ronald Curry – professional football player for the Oakland Raiders

* Marcellus Spencer "Boo" Williams Jr. – runs the Boo Williams summer league for the AAU in Hampton

* Shaun Gayle – professional football player with the San Diego Chargers

* Terry Kirby – professional football player for the Miami Dolphins and Oakland Raiders.

* Chauncey Black (singer) - Blackstreet

* Nikki Nova – fetish/porn actress

* Dwight White – defensive end on the Pittsburgh Steelers during their 1970s glory years

* Jimmy F. Williams – professional football player with the Atlanta Falcons

Newport News

* Pearl Bailey – Tony award winning actress and singer

* Antoine Bethea – professional football player for the Indianapolis Colts

* Darryl Blackstock – professional football player for the Arizona Cardinals

* Aaron Brooks – professional football quarterback for the Oakland Raiders

* Robert Cray – blues guitarist

* Ella Fitzgerald – jazz singer

* Henry Jordan – professional football player for the Green Bay Packers and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame

* David Macklin – professional football player for the Washington Redskins

* Quan – underground Hip Hop artist

* Tommy Reamon – former pro football player and coach.

* Norm Snead – professional football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles

* William Styron – author of The Confessions of Nat Turner and Sophie's Choice

* Mike Tomlin – head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers

* Al Toon – professional football player for the New York Jets

* Chris Slade – professional football player for the New England Patriots.

* Marcus Vick – former quarterback for Virginia Tech

* Michael Vick – former professional football quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons

* Roy Wooten – (a.k.a. Future Man) musician

* Victor Wooten – musician

Norfolk

* William Harvey Carney – African-American soldier of the American Civil War, Medal of Honor recipient for his part in the 54th Massachusetts Infantry's assault on Fort Wagner, South Carolina

* Clarence Clemons – saxophonist for Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band and former player for the Norfolk Neptunes football team

* Alex Cosmidis – Minor League baseball player and manager and Major League scout

* Charles "Lefty" Driesell – famed basketball coach at Davidson University, the University of Maryland, College Park, James Madison University, and Georgia State University

* Samuel Face – inventor

* Bruce Smith – former professional football player for the Buffalo Bills and Washington Redskins

* William Fuller – professional football defensive end for the Houston Oilers, Philadelphia Eagles and Chicago Bears

* General Norman Johnson – R&B musician

* Naomi Long Madgett - African American poet

* Tim Reid – television actor, director, and film executive.

* Joseph Jenkins Roberts – First President of Liberia

* Larry Sabato – National Political Pundit and Professor at the University of Virginia

* Deborah Shelton – actress; Miss USA 1970, 1st runner-up in Miss Universe contest

* Joe Smith – professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers

* Keely Smith – nightclub singer, wife and stage partner of Louis Prima

* Scott Travis – drummer for rock band Judas Priest

* Brandon Vera – Mixed Martial Artist, currently signed to UFC

* Gene Vincent – rock-a-billy artist recorded the huge hit "Be-Bop-A-Lula"

* Ernie Watts – composer, jazz saxophonist, and long-time touring member of The Rolling Stones

Portsmouth

* V. C. Andrews – mystery and horror writer

* Marty Brennaman – sportscaster for the Cincinnati Reds

* Karen Briggs – Violinist

* Ruth Brown – Grammy-award winning singer and entertainer

* Mahlon Clark – musician

* LaTasha Colander – track and field sprint star, 2000 Olympic Gold Medalist (4x400m)

* Missy Elliott – rapper

* Perry Ellis – fashion designer

* Clifton C. Garvin – President and CEO of Exxon

* T. J. Jordan – basketball player

* LaShawn Merritt – sprinter

* Bismarck Myrick – U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Liberia, U.S. Ambassador to Lesotho

* Tommy Newsom – musician featured in Johnny Carson's The Tonight Show Band with Doc Severinsen

* Ace Parker – Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback who also played baseball with the Philadelphia Phillies

* Bill Schneider – political commentator for CNN

* Wanda Sykes – actress, comedian, and comedy writer

* Nicole Wray – singer-songwriter and protege of Missy Elliott

uffolk

* Johnnie Barnes - Graduate of Hampton University and former football player(Wide Receiver)for the San Diego Chargers and the Pittsburg Steelers

* Charlie Byrd – jazz guitarist.

* Mills Edwin Godwin, Jr. – twice Governor of Virginia

* Joe Maphis – country music singer and songwriter.

Virginia Beach

* Timothy " Timbaland " Mosely – Hip-Hop artist and producer, longtime associate of Missy Elliott

* Pharrell Williams – Hip Hop artist, member of record producing duo The Neptunes

* Chad Hugo – musician and producer in the Neptunes and N.E.R.D.

* Plaxico Burress – professional football wide receiver for the New York Giants

* Bill Bray -graduate of Ocean Lakes High School. professinal baseball player drafted in the 1st round 13th overall in the 2004 mlb draft by the Montreal Expos.Currently playing for the Cincannati Reds.

* Curtis Bush -World Champion Kickboxer and Actor

* Clipse – rap group

* Danja – Hip-hop producer, Timbaland's protege

* Percy Harvin -Current football player at The University Of Florida

* J.R. Reid – former professional basketball player

* Mark Reynolds - professional baseball player

* Teddy Riley – musician and songwriter

* Pat Robertson – founder of Regent University and The 700 Club

* Kendra Todd – winner of The Apprentice 3

* Ryan Zimmerman – Professional baseball player for the Washington Nationals

** Williamsburg **

* Bruce Hornsby – singer and songwriter.

* Seven Mary Three – alternative rock band.

* Ron Springs – played running back for the Dallas Cowboys and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

* Lawrence Taylor – former professional football player for the New York Giants, professional wrestler, and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Seven City on the Web

Seven City Jobs

http://www.7cityjobs.com/

Seven City Forums

http://www.sevencityforums.com/

Seven City on Myspace

http://www.myspace.com/sevencity

References

http://chesapeake.areaconnect.com/statistics.htm

http://hampton.areaconnect.com/statistics.htm

http://newportnews.areaconnect.com/statistics.htm

http://norfolkva.areaconnect.com/statistics.htm

http://portsmouthvi.areaconnect.com/statistics.htm

http://suffolk.areaconnect.com/statistics.htm

http://virginiabeach.areaconnect.com/statistics.htm