Harlem leaders fighting realtors' 'SoHa' label

SOHA, Manhattan (WABC) -- SoHo is a well-established neighborhood in Manhattan, but now, some neighbors are saying no to renaming a part of Harlem SoHa.

Organizers rallied against the name, which some real estate brokers are using to re-brand the area.

As every New Yorker knows, when it comes to apartment or house hunting, neighborhood is everything. But leaders in Harlem are waging a fight against the idea of SoHa.

At a press conference Friday, organizers rallied behind a proposal to make the renaming of a neighborhood a legislative process requiring community support. And without it, there would be penalties. The bill would also require a community review for projects receiving state or local money that rebrand a neighborhood

Some said the name is a cheap exploitation of the culture of Harlem and an unwelcome thumbs-up to gentrification.

SoHa is defined as south Harlem, but it's also a play on the name of the famous SoHo neighborhood, much farther south. SoHa refers roughly to the area from West 110th to West 125th streets, and the name can be found in some online real estate listings.