One section - or neighborhood - of Manhattan is called that. It is on the far west side, close to the Hudson River. Hell's Kitchen got its name in the 1800s for being a tough area where dockworkers lived and for the commercial kitchens which supplied both cargo ships and passenger cruise ships docking nearby.

The name "Hell's Kitchen" for the West Side neighborhood of Manhattan has several origin myths, but most trace back to the area's gritty, violent history in the 19th century. One of the most popular stories involves a veteran police officer and a "rookie" watching a small riot on West 39th Street. The rookie allegedly said, "This place is hell itself," to which the veteran replied, "Hell is a mild climate. This is Hell's Kitchen." Another theory suggests it was named after a local gang or a particularly dilapidated tenement building known for frequent stabbings and "heat." Historically, it was a neighborhood of Irish immigrants and dockworkers, notorious for its tenements, slaughterhouses, and gangs like the "Westies." Today, the name has been largely reclaimed and "gentrified," as the area is now a vibrant culinary and theatrical hub. Despite efforts by real estate developers to rename it "Clinton" or "Midtown West" to sound more appealing, the "Hell's Kitchen" moniker stuck because of its tough, resilient New York character.