DUMBO

Who would want to live in a place called DUMBO? In 1978, development loomed over Brooklyn. Knowing they faced the same fate as SoHo, area artists formed a small committee to brand the neighborhood with a name so off-putting, no one would want to move there. At a huge loft party, they unveiled their proposals to the community, and “Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass” won by a landslide with its absurdity. The other option? DANYA—Down Around Navy Yard Annex.