One does not "Go to West Village." Girl, please!

We were down in Maryland with the whole fambo watching Jack's very first college soccer game and I tee'ed up this conversation topic at dinner. After one sentence, someone interrupted and began talking over me, which can only mean one thing:

This topic is perfect for a blog post.

I originally happened upon this whole matter while reading Reddit. I've been reading a lot of the Reddit. I'm not proud. But someone said something about something or other "In West Village." 

And yes, Reddit hashtag NYC lost its mind. 

Because it's "In THE West Village." West Village is always preceded by a THE. Just like THE Bronx. Now all the other boroughs do *not* start with a "the." For example, it's:

Manhattan.

Queens.

Brooklyn.

Staten Island.

THE Bronx.

Now. If we're talking about the 'hoods.... I'd say "I'm going to Soho" (no "the"). I'd also say I'm going to NoMad, Chelsea, Turtle Bay, FlatIron,  Hells Kitchen, TriBeCa, Chinatown, FiDi... but definitely would put a "the" in front of The Financial District (FiDi for short.) So that's a wrinkle. 

I'm going to THE financial district. I'm going to FiDi. 

This is feeling very random. 

I'd also go to THE Upper West, or THE Upper East. But I'd simply go to Harlem or Inwood, or Washington Heights.... Although I'd go to The Heights. 

I'd also go to THE Bowery.

If I say I'm headed uptown or downtown or to midtown, there's not a "the" to be found. 

I'd go to The Lower East Side, The East Village. But OMG, I'd go to Greenwich Village. If someone said they were going to "The Greenwich Village" I'd choke on my FroYo. 

Meatpacking is interesting. I think it could go either way. 

"I'm going to Meatpacking." 

"I'm going to The Meatpacking." 

Hmmm. I think I would not put the "the" in front of Meatpacking if I was talking to someone else who lives right around here. 

"Where you headed?"

"Meatpacking." 

Like I'd never say in that context "THE Meatpacking." 

However, if I was talking to a tourist or someone and they were like "Where's the Whitney?" I'd probably say "The Meatpacking." Or maybe "The Meatpacking District." yeah, I'd go with its big formal name for such an occasion.

And also, this is actually a great topic for a family dinner.