Voscoville. Walkertown. Oakdale. Soxahaus. Freetown. The Cut. Amesville. Harlem. Sugar Hill. Tunisburg. Zion City.
These and other neighborhood nicknames have histories as fluid as their geographies. They often arise in marginalized spaces, particularly in the “back of town,” and may connote pride, endearment or disparagement. Vernacular toponyms are culturally meaningful.
Some, like Freetown, Soxahaus and Amesville, have disappeared from the dialect. Others such as Voscoville, Walkertown, Harlem, Sugar Hill, Tunisburg and Zion City have been revived, often with signage and civic associations. Still others, such as The Cut in the Seventh Ward, serve as insider lingo…