Some geniuses in Miami Beach want to rebrand two areas in the city as "The French Quarter" (Normandy isles shopping district) and "The District" (shops along Collins near 8th ave). Problem is that one is already associated with various areas of world cities, while the other is entirely bland and not to mention frequently used. While it's true that "a rose by any other name is a rose," and as long as these areas retain their own unique characteristics it matters little, it is also true that just because roses are popular we do not start referring to tulips or daffodils as a rose.
The term "French Quarter" already refers to the following things:
- A district in New Orleans, LA
- A district in San Francisco, CA
- A section of downtown Charleston, SC
- A portion of Hanoi, Vietnam
- A portion of Puducherry, India
- The fourth of the genetic make up contributed by a person's sole French grandparent.
"The District" refers to, amongst others, the following things:
- A police series on CBS that ran for three seasons staring Craig T. Nelson
- A 2004 Hungarian animated film
- The District of Columbia
- Locally, occasionally used for The Design District
- An upscale shopping area in Irvine, CA
- An upscale shopping area somewhere in Nevada.
- An upscale shopping area in Columbia, MO
- An upscale shopping area in Nashville, TN
We think it's time to go back to the drawing board and come up with something a bit more original. We suggest going PoMo and just calling one "Regal, Old European-Sounding Quarter" and the other "Upscale Shopping Area."
