Superflack
"Superflack" was mentioned in William Safire's "On Language" column of March 18, 1979. It follows "superman," "superstar," and "supermodel."…
Archive for 10/2004
SoCo (South of Columbia University)
"SoCo" is "south of Columbia" University. (GOOGLE)Columbia College Today... at 107th and Broadway. Now the real estate folks are calling the area SOCO (SOuth of COlumbia). Can…
SoHa (South of Harlem)
"SoHa" is "SOuth of HArlem." Morningside Heights is the traditional name. Yes, it's another derivative from "SoHo." Attention Brooklyn real estate developers!…
SpaHa (Spanish Harlem)
"SpaHa" is a new term for "Spanish Harlem." SoHo! SpaHa! Get it? (GOOGLE)PUERTO RICO HERALD: Return of Puerto Ricans Revives Spanish Harlem As a result, voguish restaurants and…
Ladies’ Mile
The "ladies' mile" is that stretch of Manhattan shopping on Sixth Avenue (Avenue of the Americas), roughly from 14th to 23rd Streets. The exact date that the "Ladies'…
Zipper
The "zipper" is that strip of news that goes around the building at 1 Times Square, at 42nd Street and Broadway. The "zipper" has been "down" a few times in its…
Fur District
The Fur District moved uptown in the twentieth century, then faced decline. It's near the Garment District (another district that has declined). John Jacob Astor (a nineteenth century New York…
Flower Market/District & FloMa
The Flower Market has decreased considerably from the 1930s, when New Yorkers bought flowers for every holiday (especially Easter). The District is Sixth Avenue from about 26th-28th Streets.…
Roaring Forties
"The Roaring Forties" represents the Times Square area (42nd Street). This appears to have been coined just after the first World War. "The Roaring Forties" is a 19th century…
Little Rumania
The Lower East Side also had a "Little Rumania." The first citation below is for an East Side establishment called "Little Rumania." New York Nightsby Stephen GrahamNew York:…
Polar Bears
According to the Coney Island Polar Bear Club (www,polarbear.org): The Coney Island Polar Bear Club is the oldest winter bathing organization in the United States. We swim the Atlantic Ocean at…
Litterbug (Litter Bug)
"Litterbug" (also spelled "litter-bug" or "litter bug") is a term that comes from the "jitterbug" era of the late 1930s and early 1940s. Many city…
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus
Why exactly is this Christmas letter to the old New York Sun so famous? Because people want to believe in Santa Claus? The famed "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus" letter to…
Little Bohemia
Greenwich Village was long known for its "Bohemian" ways, and it was sometimes called "Little Bohemia." The Yorkville section of Manhattan was also called "Little…
GWB (George Washington Bridge, not G. W. Bush)
"GWB" is the George Washington Bridge. George Washington was our first president. He meant a lot to this city and to this country. George W. Bush is the 43rd president of the United…
Windy City (Chicago nickname)
Buffalo, New York, was called a "windy city" in the late 1840s because of the winds off of Lake Erie. Chicago, Illinois, was called a "windy city" later in the 1850s and in the…
Rockettes
The Rockettes are New York City's high-kicking dance company. The "Missouri Rockets" began in St, Louis in 1925, and were created by Russell Markert (1899-1990). In 1928, the company…
Dirty Water Dog
A post on Roadfood.com, 11-19-2003: "A 'dirty water dog'is an affectionate name for a push cart hot dog or a hot dog you would get off a lunch truck. I think it may be a New York/New…
Mad. Ave.
"Madison Avenue" has long been known for advertising, just as "Wall Street" means finance and "Fifth Avenue" means wealth. "Mad. Ave." is an abbreviation,…
Five Points
The "Five Points" section of Manhattan has been made famous in the book and film Gangs of New York. "Five Points" was the intersection of five streets: Mulberry Street, Anthony…