South Main
Encyclopedia
South Main, or SoMa, is an area of Vancouver
that centers around Main Street
, and is part of the larger Mount Pleasant
neighbourhood.
While no official boundary exists for South Main, its centre is roughly at the intersection of Broadway
and Main Street. Its boundaries roughly extend from East 2nd Avenue to East 33rd Avenue along Main Street. Recent developments along the nearby Kingsway corridor are extending the boundaries eastwards.. The name is something of a marketing misnomer, as fully 80% of Main Street lies south of the area defined as "South Main".
South Main is developing quickly and becoming one of the trendier new areas in East Vancouver
for living and dining. SoMa is a shortened version of the name South Main and was coined only in recent years by the area's promoters, and is meant to evoke the SoHo
(short for "South of Houston" Street) in Manhattan
, which in turn is an allusion to the London shopping district
of the same name. Another SoMa
exists in San Francisco, which refers to the area "South of Market" Street. Soma
is also the name of an intoxicating beverage used in a Vedic ritual
. These multiple connotations reflect the intent of entrepreneurs and developers to carry out a "relaxed kind of gentrification" in the area to create a cosmopolitan and prosperous commercial district. To most Vancouverites, however, South Main is part of Mount Pleasant and the trendier term is not widely used in conversation.
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
that centers around Main Street
Main Street (Vancouver)
Main Street is a major north-south thoroughfare bisecting Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It runs from Waterfront Road by Burrard Inlet in the north, to Kent Avenue alongside the north arm of the Fraser River in the south.-Route:...
, and is part of the larger Mount Pleasant
Mount Pleasant (Vancouver)
Mount Pleasant is a neighbourhood in the city of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, stretching from Cambie Street to Clark Drive and from Great Northern Way and 2nd, to 16th and Kingsway...
neighbourhood.
While no official boundary exists for South Main, its centre is roughly at the intersection of Broadway
Broadway (Vancouver)
Broadway is a major east-west thoroughfare in the city of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. In Vancouver's numbered avenue grid system, it runs in place of a 9th Avenue, between 8th and 10th. The street has four lanes for most of its course...
and Main Street. Its boundaries roughly extend from East 2nd Avenue to East 33rd Avenue along Main Street. Recent developments along the nearby Kingsway corridor are extending the boundaries eastwards.. The name is something of a marketing misnomer, as fully 80% of Main Street lies south of the area defined as "South Main".
South Main is developing quickly and becoming one of the trendier new areas in East Vancouver
East Vancouver
East Vancouver is a region within the City of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Geographically, East Vancouver is bordered to the north by Burrard Inlet, to the south by the Fraser River, and to the east by the city of Burnaby...
for living and dining. SoMa is a shortened version of the name South Main and was coined only in recent years by the area's promoters, and is meant to evoke the SoHo
SoHo
SoHo is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, New York City, notable for being the location of many artists' lofts and art galleries, and also, more recently, for the wide variety of stores and shops ranging from trendy boutiques to outlets of upscale national and international chain stores...
(short for "South of Houston" Street) in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, which in turn is an allusion to the London shopping district
Soho
Soho is an area of the City of Westminster and part of the West End of London. Long established as an entertainment district, for much of the 20th century Soho had a reputation for sex shops as well as night life and film industry. Since the early 1980s, the area has undergone considerable...
of the same name. Another SoMa
Soma
Soma , or Haoma , from Proto-Indo-Iranian *sauma-, was a ritual drink of importance among the early Indo-Iranians, and the subsequent Vedic and greater Persian cultures. It is frequently mentioned in the Rigveda, whose Soma Mandala contains 114 hymns, many praising its energizing qualities...
exists in San Francisco, which refers to the area "South of Market" Street. Soma
Soma
Soma , or Haoma , from Proto-Indo-Iranian *sauma-, was a ritual drink of importance among the early Indo-Iranians, and the subsequent Vedic and greater Persian cultures. It is frequently mentioned in the Rigveda, whose Soma Mandala contains 114 hymns, many praising its energizing qualities...
is also the name of an intoxicating beverage used in a Vedic ritual
Historical Vedic religion
The religion of the Vedic period is a historical predecessor of Hinduism. Its liturgy is reflected in the mantra portion of the four Vedas, which are compiled in Sanskrit. The religious practices centered on a clergy administering rites...
. These multiple connotations reflect the intent of entrepreneurs and developers to carry out a "relaxed kind of gentrification" in the area to create a cosmopolitan and prosperous commercial district. To most Vancouverites, however, South Main is part of Mount Pleasant and the trendier term is not widely used in conversation.