LITTLE ITALY

Description

Essentials about Little Italy in brief

Not much is left of the former Italian flair of Little Italy. Nevertheless, a visit to the former district of the Italians in Manhattan is still recommended to Italy fans. Little Italy once bordered Tribeca and SoHo to the west, Chinatown to the south, the Lower East Side to the east, and Nolita to the north. Today, however, the original Little Italy can only be found on a few blocks around Mulberry Street.

The history of Little Italy

Historically, Little Italy dates back to the wave of immigration of impoverished southern Italians who flocked to the U.S. en masse in the second half of the 19th century in hopes of a better life. At its peak, more than 40,000 Italian-born immigrants lived packed into cramped and dingy tenements. The houses were built so close together that the lower floors barely got any light and tuberculosis claimed many victims. Little Italy was also a stronghold of organized crime. For the most part, the Mafia controlled its activities from its “Italian home turf.”

Beginning in the early 20th century, ethnic neighborhoods in New York City gradually dissolved as the descendants of immigrants became wealthier and moved to more upscale neighborhoods. This fate also befell Little Italy. According to the current census, only about five percent of Little Italy’s residents are of Italian descent today. The Italians have been largely displaced by the Chinese ethnic group from adjacent Chinatown.

Italian culture in Little Italy

Nevertheless, there are still many traces of Italian culture in Little Italy, above all, of course, Italian restaurants (even if their owners are Italian-Americans only in exceptional cases). If you want to eat pizza, pasta and other Italian dishes well and inexpensively by New York standards, a trip to Little Italy is a good idea. In addition, every year in September, Little Italy awakens to new “Italian” life, because then the Feast of St. Januarius is celebrated. During the festivities, which last a total of 11 days, Mulberry Street is renamed Via San Gennaro, a relic is solemnly carried through the streets, tons of Italian delicacies are eaten, and people dance and celebrate.

For those who want to learn more about the history of Italians in New York City and the United States, a visit to the Italian American Museum is recommended. The small museum shows in an interesting exhibition by means of a historical collection of documents, pictures, art and personal biographies the life of the Italians in America.