Hell’s Kitchen, also known as Clinton, is a neighborhood in the Midtown West region of Manhattan. The area between 34th and 59th Streets, and Eighth Avenue and the Hudson River, was once a working-class district that was home to Irish immigrants who worked in the Hell’s Kitchen and Chelsea Piers. The neighborhood’s name reportedly came from a former cop, Davy Crockett, who described the area as “Hell’s Kitchen.”

The first recorded use of the name “Hell’s Kitchen” dates back to the 1800s, and there are several theories about its origin. Some believe that the name came from the intense heat generated by the neighborhood’s tenement buildings, while others claim that it referred to the notorious gang activity that once plagued the area.

In the early 1900s, the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood was referred to as “the acres,” “the jungle,” or “the valley.” This was because the neighborhood did not have an official name, and every community had its name for it. Because the neighborhood had a negative reputation, many residents did not want to associate themselves with it. As a result, the neighborhood remained nameless for several years.

In the 1920s and 1930s, the neighborhood started to become more organized, and the residents created more of a sense of community. It was during this time that the residents of Hell’s Kitchen started referring to it as “the Kitchen.” This was a nod to the neighborhood’s culinary heritage, as the area was home to many chefs and restaurants.

If you ask some New Yorkers to identify Hell’s Kitchen on a map, they would be hard-pressed to do so. But mention the Kitchen, and they know precisely where you’re talking about. However, the name the Kitchen has never really stuck outside of the neighborhood.

In the late 1950s, New York City started a massive urban renewal program across the five boroughs, and Hell’s Kitchen was no exception. The city rebranded the area as Clinton, a name that came from DeWitt Clinton, a former New York Governor who was responsible for some significant public works projects in the city in the early 1800s.

The name “Clinton” was meant to give the area a fresh start and distance it from its negative reputation. But despite the city’s efforts, the name did not catch on. Many residents continued to refer to the neighborhood as Hell’s Kitchen or the Kitchen.

Today, the name “Clinton” is rarely used, and the neighborhood is still known primarily as Hell’s Kitchen. However, in recent years, some real estate agents have tried to rebrand the area as “Midtown West,” a move that has been met with mixed reactions.

The Tenderloin was an area that encompassed Hell’s Kitchen, as well as a few other nearby neighborhoods, including Chelsea, The Garment District, and The Meatpacking District. It had a reputation for vice, corruption, and debauchery. The name came from a comparison to a juicy cut of meat, and it was said that cops could be bribed with the tenderloin to turn a blind eye to illegal activities.

The Tenderloin was rife with prostitution, gambling, and drugs. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, it was known as New York City’s “vice district.” It was only later that the term Tenderloin started to apply specifically to the Hell’s Kitchen area.

In conclusion, Hell’s Kitchen is undoubtedly an area of New York City with a long and significant history. Its numerous nicknames reflect the neighborhood’s diverse, sometimes contradictory, identities. Today, even though the neighborhood has undergone significant changes from its early days, it remains a vibrant and culturally rich community. Whether you call it Hell’s Kitchen, the Kitchen, or something else, one thing is clear: this neighborhood is a part of New York City’s identity and lore that is worth exploring.