THE Murray Hill on the East Side of Manhattan isn’t the only neighborhood of that name in the city; another one, in Queens, is just east of downtown Flushing. It took its name from members of the same Murray family, which at one time owned a vast plant nursery there, as well as houses on both sides of the East River.

But history alone, it seems, is not enough to keep a New York neighborhood firmly on the map. The area has become home in the last decade to large numbers of new immigrants. As a result, many residents don’t know the name; they may even say with conviction that it’s across the river.

One longtime resident whose memories of the neighborhood validate its history is John C. Liu, the city comptroller — but he acknowledges that that history has more or less faded from the collective consciousness. “I feel both privileged and disturbed that I might be one of the last remaining links to the history of Murray Hill,” said Mr. Liu, who lived here for several years as a child and lives about eight blocks away today.

In his eyes, the neighborhood’s center is the Murray Hill station of the Long Island Rail Road; from there it stretches in all directions about three to five blocks. By this definition, it would cover about two-tenths of a square mile.