It's not named after the avenue, Gistok. The name comes from the large parcel of land between Third and Cass, north from Michigan avenue, an original ribbon farm owned by territorial governor and presidential candidate Lewis Cass. That parcel now comprises more than 50 city blocks.
Cass Corridor is an actual historical name that has boundaries and a certain character. It has a charm -- a grimy charm, I grant you -- and a storied history indeed.
Midtown was invented to supersede "Cass Corridor" because of the unfavorable connotations it had developed over the years. But what are the borders of Midtown? What is the historical underpinning of calling it Midtown? It's really just a marketing tool.
Somebody joked to me once: "Midtown? Oh, yeah, when something is developed, when somebody invests money, when anybody opens a business, then that, too, gets called Midtown. When somebody is killed or a building burns down, that is called Cass Corridor."
It has the ring of truth to it. We should be at least squeamish about adopting neighborhood names that aren't rooted in history and have no boundaries.
Look up "neighborhood names" and "gentrification" on Google and you'll turn up some other interesting discussions on the topic.
http://brooklynbased.net/email/2012/...-williamsburg/
Anyway, it's a lively debate -- one that's taking place not just here. Perhaps it deserves its own thread.