What Does DUMBO Stand For?

What does DUMBO stand for, letter by letter?

The small word "the" gets no letter, which is normal for acronyms built from place descriptions. The result is a short name people can say easily. People pronounce it instead of spelling it, so it qualifies as an acronym under the rule set out in what is an acronym.

Where DUMBO is and what it is like

The neighborhood fills a small wedge of land between the Manhattan Bridge and the Brooklyn Bridge, along the Brooklyn shore of the East River. To the south and east lie Brooklyn Heights and Vinegar Hill.

• Buildings: large brick and concrete warehouses from the industrial era, many turned into apartments, offices and studios.
• Streets: some still have cobblestones and old freight rail tracks set into the pavement.
• Waterfront: part of a long riverside park with lawns, piers, a carousel and views of Lower Manhattan.
• The famous view: on Washington Street, the Manhattan Bridge tower appears framed between two old buildings, one of the most photographed spots in the city.

How the DUMBO acronym got its name

For much of its history, the area was simply part of the Brooklyn waterfront, full of factories that made boxes, machines and other goods. As manufacturing left, artists moved into the large, cheap spaces in the 1970s and 1980s.

A popular story says those early residents chose an awkward, unflattering name on purpose, hoping it would keep developers away. That account is told often, but it is hard to confirm, so treat it as local lore. What is clear is that the name stuck, and the neighborhood later became one of the most sought after in Brooklyn.

Saying and writing DUMBO

• Say it as one word, "DUM-bo," stressing the first half.
• Capitals (DUMBO) are common on signs and in news writing; Dumbo with one capital is just as accepted and is used by many locals.
• Write "in DUMBO" the way you would write "in Brooklyn." Do not add "the" in front.
• The name is unrelated to the famous flying cartoon elephant, even though it shares the spelling.

A few sentences that use the name:

• "We walked across the bridge and had lunch in DUMBO."
• "Her office is in a converted warehouse in Dumbo."
• "The best photo of the bridge is from Washington Street in DUMBO."

Other New York neighborhood acronyms

DUMBO is part of a city habit of naming areas with short forms of where they sit. Several are well known:

Other cities have borrowed the pattern for their own districts. For the state behind the city, see the New York abbreviation page, and for more place codes browse country, city and airport codes.

Visiting tips

1. The neighborhood is easy to reach on foot from either bridge, by subway or by ferry.
2. Weekends get crowded at the Washington Street photo spot, so go early for a clear shot.
3. The waterfront park is free and open to the public.
4. Comfortable shoes help on the cobblestones.

Even if you never visit, knowing the full form explains the name: you really are down under the Manhattan Bridge.