New York

Realtors are Giving South Harlem a New Nickname

The historical community of south Harlem is now being dubbed SOHA, South of Harlem, by Harlem realtors.

The unofficial renaming of the neighborhood came as new property listings in the area of 110th Street through 125th Street went up for sale.

Some of the apartments are going for as much as $600,000 to buy and $3,800 to rent, according to StreetEasy

Real estate team, Keller Williams, has even coined their team the "SOHA Team," according to their website.  

“These attempts to rename neighborhoods for business gains are disrespectful to the neighborhood” Danni Tyson, a real estate broker and a member of Manhattan Community Board 10, told DNAinfo New York.

Keller Williams has yet to comment on the matter. 

Residents and advocates of the neighborhood oppose the SOHA name, including Mahattan Community Board 11 of East Harlem.

"We want to preserve the culture of our community and (renaming it) would affect that,” Chair Diane Collier said.

The renaming of NYC neighborhoods isn't a new trend.

The SOHA name is modeled after trendy Manhattan neighborhoods, SOHO (South of Houston Street) and NOHO (North of Hudson Street). 

In recent years, the real estate industry tried to rename a part of the Bronx "The Piano District." 

BoCoCa (Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens), Rambo (Right Around the Manhattan Bridge Overpass), and LoDel (Below Delancey) are among the many other names that were created by real estate companies but never stuck.

Contact Us