Nominations Now Open for Neighborhood of the Year 2007

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For the past three years, Curbed has closed out the year with a reader vote to award the Curbed Cup to the Neighborhood of the Year (2004, Fort Greene; 2005, Prospect Heights; 2006, West Harlem). This being Racked's first year, here's a quick explanation of how things are going to roll: Starting next week, we'll begin a four-week elimination tournament among the year's top 16 New York neighborhoods to determine the winner, with Racked, Eater and Curbed all playing a part.

Before we dive into that, though, we'd like to check in with you, our beloved readers. Which neighborhoods do you think deserve consideration, and why? Some questions to consider: Which areas have really become, perhaps more than ever before, shopping destinations this year? Which hoods went to shit? Which nabes enjoyed the biggest store openings—or the biggest busts? Drop your picks in the comments, then check back on Monday as the tournament to name the Neighborhood of the Year kicks off.