Taken at the corner of Sixth and K streets NW. What is this neighborhood? (Photo by rockcreek)

Dear PoPville:

What do you call that part of D.C. that’s wedged between New York and Massachusetts avenues west of Seventh Street NW? Most people would call it Mount Vernon Square, or perhaps Mount Vernon Triangle, if they are inclined to promote the neighborhood’s status as a recognized historic district. But what if I wanted to pass myself off as web-savvy and forward-thinking? Is there a stupid, made-up name with a singsongy acronym I could use?

Meet SoNYA: The neighborhood properly known as Mount Vernon Square or Mount Vernon Triangle has been rechristened on a Shaw neighborhood email group, and Prince of Petworth is running with it. SoNYA, presumably refers to the area south of New York Avenue. And PoP likes it.

“Think ‘SoNYA’ has any chance of sticking?” he asks his intrepid readers. “It does have a nice ring to it…”

Sure, sounds about as embraceable as SoMo or, also from the annals of email-generated neighborhood names, the GaP.

Also, the prince isn’t even sure where SoNYA ends and another neighborhood begins. “Anyone know how far south the southern border would be?” he wonders. Hmm, let’s see. A few blocks south of New York Avenue is Massachusetts Avenue. And south of that are a pair of neighborhoods, one of which is full of Chinese restaurants, and another that is defined by hulking courthouses. Whatever could they be called?

Seriously, this shit needs to stop. When we hear the name Sonya, we’d rather think of this: