Little Italy is a neighborhood that time forgot — and that’s exactly its charm. Most of the old Italian enclave has shrunk to a few blocks around Mulberry Street, but walking those blocks feels like stepping into a postcard of old New York. The smell of garlic and espresso fills the air, and red-checkered tablecloths spill out of every restaurant.
History
Little Italy emerged in the late 19th century when Italian immigrants, primarily from Southern Italy and Sicily, settled in Lower Manhattan. At its peak around 1910, the neighborhood housed over 4,000 Italians in a densely packed area bordered by Canal, Lafayette, Houston, and the Bowery. The community was built around mutual aid societies, Catholic churches like the Church of the Most Precious Blood on Baxter Street, and festivals that honored patron saints from home villages. The Feast of San Gennaro, held every September since 1926, began as a one-day religious celebration and grew into an 11-day street fair that draws millions. As immigration patterns shifted and families moved to the suburbs, the neighborhood shrank. Today’s Little Italy covers only about two blocks of Mulberry Street, but the spirit of the community remains intact.
Features and Highlights
- Mulberry Street — the main artery lined with Italian restaurants, cafes, and pastry shops
- The Feast of San Gennaro — an 11-day street fair every September with food booths and parades
- Ferrara Bakery & Cafe on Grand Street — operating since 1892, famous for cannoli and espresso
- Ravenite Social Club — once a hangout for mafia figures that’s now a tourist attraction
- Lombardi’s Pizza at 32 Spring Street — America’s first pizzeria, established in 1905
- The Italian American Museum at 155 Mulberry Street, housed in a former bank building
- Di Palo’s Fine Foods on Grand Street — a family-run Italian market that’s been open since 1925
Visitor Tips
September is the best time to visit because of the San Gennaro festival. Skip the tourist-trap restaurants with aggressive touts on Mulberry and instead line up at Lombardi’s for pizza or Di Palo’s for sandwiches. Ferrara Bakery is a must for dessert — their cannoli are made fresh daily. Little Italy is small enough to explore in an hour, so pair it with a walk through Chinatown, which is right next door. The 6 train to Spring Street or the B/D at Grand Street get you closest.
Cultural Impact
Little Italy shaped America’s perception of Italian-American culture through films like The Godfather, Goodfellas, and Donnie Brasco. The neighborhood has been romanticized as the heart of Italian identity in New York, even as the actual Italian population has dwindled. The Feast of San Gennaro is one of the oldest religious street festivals in the country. For travelers who have wandered through Central Park in New York, Little Italy offers a completely different but equally immersive food experience — the neighborhood shows how immigrant communities created culinary traditions that define the city. A walk through both neighborhoods shows how Manhattan, New York City was built by wave after wave of immigrant communities. The Empire State Building – New York City may dominate the skyline, but it’s these street-level neighborhoods that give the city its flavor.
Location and Contact
- Address: Mulberry Street between Canal and Broome Streets, New York, NY 10013
- Coordinates: 40.7192° N, 73.9975° W
- Neighborhood: Open daily — restaurant hours vary
- Official Site: Visit Little Italy
- Wikipedia: Little Italy on Wikipedia
CONTACT US
For more information or to visit us, here are our branch addresses:
- Branch 1: Naungayan Building, Aala Road, Barangay Mankilam, Tagum City, Davao Del Norte
- Branch 2: Sobrecary Street (In front of Velox Gas Station), Tagum City, Davao Del Norte
- Email: gracezelguerra22@gmail.com
- Phone: 09460480491
- Business Hours: Monday – Friday: 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM (PH Time)
- Facebook Page: Visit our Facebook Page