As part of a digression in a great post about Thomassons (objects in cities that are useless but still remain, like these hitching posts from the days of horses in SF), TK from 40 going on 28 poses a question:
When you’re saying something is located in a neighborhood that ends in “Hill,” do you say “in” or “on”? Like, I say “You know, Thee Parkside, over on Potrero Hill,” or “That is the douchiest place on Russian Hill, and that’s saying something.” Sally obviously prefers the “in” usage, as in “My bro sold his startup to Google and bought a place in Rincon Hill.” Is either one right or are they both cool? I don’t know. *shrugs*
Tough one! Maybe think geographically? Thee Parkside is technically in the Potrero Hill neighborhood, but it is not on the hill. So I’d say “in.” Whereas Blooms Saloon is definitely *on* Potrero Hill, so maybe I’d say, “Blooms, on Potrero Hill.” Or would I? Hard to say.
, TK from 40 going on 28 poses a question: When you’re saying something is located in a neighborhood that ends in “Hill,” do you […]</p>
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If you are talking about the neighborhood it should be ‘in’ and if you are talking about the actual hill it should be ‘on.’ But, y’know, that’s just me….
Correct.
As a lifelong resident of SF and former resident of Potrero Hill, I’ve always said “on” Potrero Hill, as that makes intuitive topographical sense. The Chron/SF Gate convention is to say “in,” which presumably is because they think of it as a district or neighborhood, e.g. “in the Mission,” so technically that makes sense, but it just sounds awkward. To each their own. I’m with “on.” If you’re going to say “in,” qualify it with something like “in the Potrero Hill region” so you won’t sound like Bill O’Reilly blundering a la “The Coit Tower.”
In a neighborhood on this planet.
In
“An” Portrero Hill
I describe things as either being “in Potrero” or “on Potrero Hill” … “in Potrero Hill” just sounds wrong somehow.
I’m sure there’s someone somewhere who hates the use of “Potrero” without “Hill”. Those people need to get out more and lighten the fuck up, though.