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Get to know DUMBO

New York has a thing for crafting neighborhood acronyms and portmanteaus from hyper-specific descriptions. For example, SoHo is “South of Houston,” Tribeca is the “Triangle Below Canal Street,” and — perhaps most unusual of them all — DUMBO is found “Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass.” Long a derelict industrial neighborhood brimming with semi-abandoned warehouses and factories, DUMBO has since evolved into one of the city’s hottest residential areas, preserving many of its extant buildings as trendy loft conversions. Still, DUMBO remains a singular neighborhood, retaining the look and feel of a low-rise industrial waterfront area. And it's hard to beat that East River frontage: Wedged like a fine cheese between the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges, you’ll be treated to scenic views of Lower Manhattan and the historic crossings themselves. If you want a closer look at that skyline you just snapped a pic of, nearby subway service on the A, C, and F lines will get you there.

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DUMBO Commerce & Culture

Though a small neighborhood, DUMBO fits a lot of shopping onto mostly cobblestoned streets, many of which are still embedded with the long-abandoned rails of the old Jay Street Connecting Railroad. You'll find boutiques and flagship outposts of a curated few national brands — a tasteful smattering that hardly dominates the scene. What isn't a neighborhood original is at least likely to be an NYC-owned enterprise with other locations in the city. Restored and repurposed 19th-century buildings house some offices, a collection of dining options, and performing arts institutions. There is actually quite a bit going on down under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass, too: The DUMBO Archway has become a plaza that plays host to street fairs, live music, art exhibitions, and even film shoots. Maybe that acronym is just trying to point everyone toward where all the action is.