Make Room for #MiSo

Question: What neighborhood will this building go up in?

Curbed classifies E 37th, between Fifth and Madison, as “Midtown East,” but others say Midtown East doesn’t really begin until 40th street. Traditionally this area was lumped in with Murray Hill, even though the neighborhood west of Park Ave is dominated by offices and has a very different feel than the Murray Hill most people are familiar with.

It’s definitely north of NoMad, the distinct, relatively new neighborhood above Madison Square Park. NoMad ends at 29th street, giving way to K-Town, which is centered around 32nd and doesn’t extend beyond 34th. So if Midtown East doesn’t begin until 40th, what should we call this neighborhood?

The local police precinct, and commercial real estate journalists call a lot of this area “Midtown South” — though their boundaries spill into the East Village, Chelsea, and the Theater district. The Midtown South Community Council says it spans from Lex to 9th Ave, from 29th to 45th. Sheesh.

When it comes to residential real estate, though, Midtown South should have a narrower definition — reflecting the feel of the neighborhood, with a nod to historical dividing lines. I propose 34th to 42nd Street, Park to 6th Ave… and that it be called MiSo.

Sure, MiSo is a bit of a contrivance, but it feels less forced than NoMad or NoLiTa. It’s certainly less derivative than RAMBO. And using MiSo will prevent Google maps algorithms from naming the neighborhood something else.

So here’s to MiSo, home of the Morgan Library, a new Zuma restaurant, and future site of that tower with trees in the middle.