What to Know
- Manhattan neighborhoods like SoHo and Nolita have been trendy for years
- Some realtors want to piggyback on that buzz, renaming the area from 110th to 125th streets SoHa, short for South Harlem
- Longtime residents in the culturally rich neighborhood aren't having it
Community activists say a campaign to rebrand a section of Harlem as "SoHa" — short for South Harlem — is insulting and another sign of gentrification run amok.
Danni Tyson, a community board member, says no real estate company, coffee shop or business should be using the term SoHa to refer to Harlem, according to NY1.
Tyson's comments were in response to some realtors and store owners rebranding the area from 110th to 125th streets in Manhattan as SoHa. NY1 reports the SoHa advocates are capitalize on some of the buzz generated by other "in vogue" neighborhoods like SoHo, Nolita and Tribeca.
Democrat Brian Benjamin, who won Tuesday's special election for Harlem's state senator seat, says the rebranding effort is like someone is trying to rob Harlem residents of their culture. One resident described it like a slap in the face.
