Village People

Some Philly neighborhoods have better names than others. Like Devil's Pocket, or Kingsessing, Hantraft or Fishtown.

Philadelphia does neighborhoods right.

And then some smartypants came up with Midtown Village, a "meh" name is we ever heard one.

The corridor between 12th and Broad, Market and Locust is home to some of the city's best restaurants and fun shops, and was featured in this Sunday New York Times travel section slideshow.

Midtown Village may be located in Midtown, a dull word for a non-dull place, but surely it's no village. It's in the heart of the Gayborhood (does that make residents Village People?), the center of Center City, a gritty and thriving slice of urban life.

Couldn't there be a better, more vital name for such a place?

Hey, it's in the city, pal. If we want a village, we'll go to Vermont.

--Karen Heller