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There is not much of Little Italy in Manhattan anymore. The neighbourhood has shrunk down from a thriving area to barely four blocks in length, and small blocks at that.
Mott, Mulberry, Elizabeth, and Baxter. Say it a few times to see how long it takes for you to memorize it. That's how long it takes to walk through Little Italy. If you can't walk that fast, don't worry, the neighbourhood is continuing to shrink year after year, partly due to the encroachment from Chinatown and partly to the new tenants moving in from Lower East Side.
There is not much of Little Italy in Manhattan anymore. The handful of shops sell a handful of dry pasta and lower-grade grappa. The handful of restaurants have strictly tourist-oriented menus. There isn't a smell of fresh dough and homemade bread in the air. There isn’t an exchange of Italian language however briefly.
Everyone who can speak Italian and who can cook true Italian food has moved to the Bronx. That’s where everyone knows everyone else and where there isn't a need for red checkerboard plastic tablecloth to lure in customers.
There is not much of Little Italy in Manhattan anymore, but the subway will take you to the Bronx in no time. I'll meet you there shortly. Leave a Comment Directions: Take the 6 to Spring St.
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"Bambino, are you lost? I take a you back a to my casa and give a you a good a food a ok?"
OK, well it didnt necessarily work out like that.....but nobody needs to know the truth do they? It was actually a girl, around my age I think who saw Charles and I discussing where Little Italy could actually be...ha ha! It was plainly obvious where it was, but we didnt know in what direction next to walk to stay in it. So this girl asked us if she could help and she directed us to a great restaurant and then said that if we were wanting dessert afterwards, to head over to another place which do delicious cakes and ice cream! It was so nice of her to tell us this and something which i had already found to be a trait in the New Yorkers! You see in London, there is no way that people have the time of day to help tourists and you really feel lost sometimes, but here, in the Big Apple, it felt different. We had already been told what stop to get off on the subway by a drunk/tramp earlier on in the day, and we would yet have the pleasure of meeting someone who saved one of my shoes...(tell you in another section about that!).
So off we walked in the right direction looking at menus as we went trying to decide on what we wanted to eat and how much we wanted to pay. We arrived at the recommeded place but they specialised in pastas and Charles really wanted a pizza, but the waiter told us very enthusiastically where else we could go for a good pizza. My goodness, do these people have no loyalty to their restaurants we wondered? Well it soon became obvious when we appraoched the second place that it was actually co-run by the first one, so it all started to make sense now! They had a great deal going of $9.95 for a soup and main meal, so we 'indulged' ourselves....and it was actually really nice. But please remember that tax will then get added on top. 'Il Piccolo Buffalo' was its name. Leave a Comment Directions: If walking from ChinaTown head north a little bit and if not, take the line 6 to Spring City.
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When immigrants from Southern Italy came to New York, they found themselves in "dumbbell" apartments. These apartments were so close together that no sunlight ever reached the lower windows or back yards.
During the late 1800s over 40,000 people were crowded into this small 17-block area. Diseases, such as tuberculosis, were a part of daily life. Even with these hardships, the residents of Little Italy built a lively and colorful community with the sights, sounds, and flavors of their homeland.
The Italian population of New York City's "Little Italy" has dwindled to fewer than 5,000 residents. Chinatown has expanded and replaced many of the original "Little Italy" neighborhoods.
The Feast of San Gennaro (Fiesta di San Gennaro) is the most exciting annual event in the neighborhood, begining on September 19th and continuing for nine days. During this celebration, Mulberry Street is renamed Via San Gennaro and the shrines and relics of this saint are paraded through the streets. The crowds enjoy Italian foods of all types, as well as other ethnic dishes, and there is much singing and dancing.
For visitors who enjoy eating, the restaurants in Little Italy offer reasonably priced food in quiet and friendly surroundings. Leave a Comment
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I'd heard from many people that Little Italy more or less was a tourist trap and that it was not worth the detour, but I was still curious to see it. I guess most people are disappointed to see how small Little Italy has become - most of the Italian families of old have now moved to different residential areas throughout the city, and what is now refered to as "Little Italy" is a small commercial strip punctuated by restaurants and souvenir shops. But still, having no expectations whatsoever, I did enjoy my short visit to "Lita" - I thought all the sidewalk terraces were quite charming, and we ended up going for an early dinner in one of the many restaurants located on Mulberry Street. It wasn't necessarily the best Italian meal I've ever had, but it was still quite good, not expensive at all, and the atmosphere of the place turned this into a really pleasant experience! Leave a Comment
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Come to Little Italy in the heart of lower Manhattan and get a little taste of the heritage of what started to build New York. Great Italian restaurants, as well as historical spots that you'll only find in this region of the city.
Aside from that little Italy has so much else to offer, you can find shops here that you won't see anywhere else in New York. But overall this neighbourhood is really not what it used to be, there was a time when all the Italians in New York lived here and area was huge, but not it has slowly shrunk down to what it is today. You'll still feel the history and vibe when you're in the region. Leave a Comment Directions: In Lower Manhattan, close to the Financial District, bordered by Canal and Mott St., with Mulberry street running through it.Website: http://www.littleitalynyc.com/
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Little Italy was once an ethnic enclave of great distinction arising from the great influx of Italian immigrants from the 19th and early 20th centuries. The neighborhood has now shrunk to a fraction of its former self. Generally boisterous and frolicsome as a race, the "Italian" in Little Italy is quiet and demur compared to the activity and commotion literally across the (Canal) street in Chinatown. There is no bright neon here or very little of it. You'll find no haggering in open air shops, and little in the way of trinkets or baubles or newsstands. What you will find is an ambiance of quiet culinary authenticity and a small dose of Mediterranean flair. The Italians have essentially moved away from the quarter. Chinese is spoken all around you before you enter Little Italy, where you'll almost have to enter a restaurant and listen carefully to hear Italian. The food generally is rich and wonderful as well as economical, and when coupled with the lively conversation between waiters in Italian the effect is magical. Leave a Comment Directions: north of Chinatown above Canal Street roughly along Mulberry Street
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Little Italy still has some charm and you will see wee old Italian American men with great mustaches walking around shopping and chatting while others try to get you into their diner for a pasta lunch or dinner but the entire area only consists of half of dozens streets/blocks and is being swallowed up by Chinatown. The heart of little Italy is Mulberry st near the park and the street reminded me of the gangster in Donnie Brasco (Lefty from Mulberry St) when he said ''I am known my friend, ask anybody about Lefty from Mulberry St'' so being a fan of gangster history, I had to make the journey to see the street. The area has a cool vibe and the fire hydrants are painted the colors of Italian flag after the World Cup victory. You can get anything from pasta dishes to cheap t shirts that say ''Are you talkin to me?'' and the whole place is good fun :) Leave a Comment
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I don't get out there often enough when I visit New York City, but LITTLE ITALY is always a great place to dine and reminisce about wonderful time spent in Italy.
Mulberry St. is the main strip with all the shops and restaurants..........truly reminds you of that little cobblestone street you dined at in Florence.....or Positano!
I don't have a particular favorite restaurant in this area, although there are quite a few "infamous" ones here that would be frequented by the local mobster clans. (so I've been told).
I just go there and base my choice on how good-looking the waiters are! Bellissimo!!!! Leave a Comment
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I had always thought of Little Italy as being a real area in New York, a neighbourhood with a unique Italian background and style... Well, it's not more than two streets (Mulberry and Grand Street) and these consist basically only of restaurants and now and then an Italian grocery store. Apparently, the restaurants are quite good and rather inexpensive - most guidebooks mention them somehow as a good place to get Italian food. I didn't try them, but I certainly will next time in New York. Leave a Comment Address: Mulberry / Grand StreetDirections: Little Italy, next to Chinatown
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Little Italy is centered around Mulberry Street from Spring Street to Canal Street in Manhattan. The narrow streets are packed with New York's best Italian restaurants and cafes.
Major Sights in geographical order
Old St. Patrick's Cathedral (Prince Street & Mulberry Street)
Umberto's Clam House (Hester Street & Mulberry Street)
Bowery Savings Bank (130 Bowery at Grand)
Former Police Headquarters Building (Centre Street from Grand to Broome)
Fourteenth Ward Industrial School of the Children's Aid Society (256-58 Mott Street between Prince and Houston)
Pioneer Hotel (146-48 Bowery at Broome)
Puck Building (295-309 Lafayette Street)
We came there when teh famous San Gennaro Festival was held. There were street-markets and carnival stands with a lot of fun and delicious italian food! Leave a Comment
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