Why Cheektowaga, New York is Called “CheektaVegas”

Cheektowaga, NY is home to nearly 90,000 people and a memorable nickname. Where, though, did the nickname "CheektaVegas" actually come from?

About Cheektowaga, NY

The second largest suburb of Buffalo, Cheektowaga is home to the Buffalo-Niagara International Airport, the Walden Galleria Mall, the village of Sloan, and about half of the village of Depew. In case you didn't know, it was originally named by the Seneca people  "Chictawauga," which means land of crabapples. Not a very prolific thing to be named after, is it?

Famous people who came from Cheektowaga include actor William Fichtner, NBA player Andrew Anderson, Pro Bowlers Liz Johnson and Ryan Ciminelli, and actress Chelsea Noble who is married to Kirk Cameron.

Its twin city?  Łowicz, Poland.

Cheektowaga Traditions

Cheektowaga has always got a lot of attention. It's known for having pink Flamingos on front lawns. The Cheektowaga Living Room, a living room set up in a home's garage, is a staple in Western New York not to mention a fun idea. It's home to a large and proud Polish-American population.

The Nickname

It's also home to one of the most well-known area nicknames: CheektaVegas.

Why, though? Why is Cheektowaga called CheektaVegas by so many people? For years this has been the nickname for the sprawling suburb. However, I never knew exactly WHY it was called that by so many people, including myself. So, I set out to discover the origin of the name with a simple Facebook post.

The answers I got were interesting, perplexing, and in some cases seemed very legit. Then there was the actual answer, at least as far as I can tell.

So there you have it. At least, I think. Did I get it wrong? Let me know! @PMBuffalo on Twitter.