Decode New York’s neighborhood acronyms!

Before I reveal what all these New York neighborhood nicknames mean, let’s play a quick game. Below is a list of 12 New York acronyms. How many do you know?

1/ SoHo
2/ NoHo
3/ TriBeCa
4/ FiDi
5/ BoHo
6/ Nolita
7/ NoMad
8/ MePa
9/ SoHa
10/ SoBRO
11/ Dumbo
12/ BoCoCa

Got them all? 🙂 Feel free to share your score in the comments below! Now that you’ve had a chance to guess, here are the answers. Here’s what each acronym means:

1/ SoHo: South of Houston Street

• SoHo is by far the most famous New York neighborhood acronym. Invented in the 1960s, it describes the area bounded by Houston Street to the north (where the name comes from), Crosby Street to the east, Canal Street to the south, and 6th Avenue to the west. SoHo is the fashion district—trendy and stylish. If you want to shop, this is the neighborhood to visit!
  Learn more on the SoHo page. Also check out our guide to the best clothing stores in New York in the New York shopping guide.

2/ NoHo: North of Houston Street

• Much less known than SoHo, NoHo describes the area north of Houston Street. The neighborhood is bounded by Houston Street to the south, Astor Place to the north, Bowery to the east, and Broadway to the west. NoHo sits between the famous SoHo, Greenwich Village, and East Village! But this neighborhood is worth exploring: the NoHo Historic District was designated in 1999 to protect 125 buildings from the late 19th century.

3/ TriBeCa: Triangle Below Canal Street

• As the acronym suggests, this neighborhood forms a triangle south of Canal Street. TriBeCa in New York is bordered to the south by the Financial District. The neighborhood is worth a visit for its cast iron buildings—structures with iron facades.
• You can take great photos here, playing with the contrast between historic landmark buildings and glass towers, including One World Trade Center, which overlooks TriBeCa.

4/ FiDi: Financial District

• When you visit New York, you’ll likely spend a lot of time exploring FiDi, the Financial District, to see One World Trade Center, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, and Wall Street.
• That said, locals use the FiDi acronym much more than tourists, who often don’t know it. Here’s a good way to sound like a local! 😉

5/ BoHo: Bowery Below Houston Street

• This newer acronym describes a small area around Bowery and below Houston Street. It’s a tiny neighborhood that’s largely influenced by its larger neighbor, Chinatown.

6/ Nolita: North of Little Italy

• You know Little Italy, New York’s Italian neighborhood. Head north from there and you enter Nolita, the area north of Little Italy. Nolita runs from Broome Street in the south to Houston Street in the north, with Bowery as its eastern boundary and Lafayette Street as its western boundary.

7/ NoMad: North of Madison Square Park

• NoMad is one of the newer terms trying to establish itself in New York—it appeared in 1999. It describes the area north of Madison Square Park, bounded by 25th Street to the south, 29th Street to the north, 6th Avenue to the west, and Madison Avenue to the east.
• In terms of landmarks, NoMad sits between the famous Flatiron Building, which borders the southern part of the neighborhood, and the Empire State Building, just a few blocks north.

8/ MePa: Meatpacking District

• MePa is another recent acronym for a well-defined neighborhood, the Meatpacking District. This area has transformed dramatically over the past few years and is now a trendy destination. The Meatpacking District marks one end of the High Line. You’ll also find the Whitney Museum of American Art here.

9/ SoHa: South of Harlem

• As Harlem itself becomes increasingly popular with visitors, the area south of Harlem launched its own acronym: after the famous SoHo, here comes SoHa. SoHa covers 10 blocks between 116th Street and 106th Street, between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue. The charming neighborhood of Morningside Heights sits at the heart of SoHa.

10/ SoBRO: South Bronx

• The South Bronx has its own nickname too! SoBRO is even an organization working to revitalize the Bronx. And things are gradually changing! Still, the SoBRO name isn’t widely used by residents yet. Creating new neighborhood names is harder than it sounds!

11/ Dumbo: Down Under the Manhattan Brooklyn Overpass

• This is probably the most fun neighborhood nickname in New York! Dumbo doesn’t refer to Walt Disney’s elephant but to this Brooklyn neighborhood located between the Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan Bridge.
• This neighborhood has been beautifully renovated in recent years and I highly encourage you to visit! You absolutely must explore Brooklyn Bridge Park, which offers stunning views of the Brooklyn Bridge and the Financial District. Learn more on the Dumbo page.

12/ BoCoCa: Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens

• BoCoCa combines the names of three neighborhoods in south Brooklyn: Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill, and Carroll Gardens. It’s not really a neighborhood in its own right but rather a term that groups them together. In fact, residents of these neighborhoods don’t use the BoCoCa name very often.

Acronyms are definitely a New York specialty! In 2005, a naming contest even produced “Rambo” for “Right Around the Manhattan Bridge Overpass.” That nickname has since been forgotten and never achieved the success of SoHo!