Little Italy is a neighborhood in Downtown San Diego, California, that was originally a predominantly Italian and Portuguese fishing neighborhood. It has since been gentrified and is now a popular neighborhood full of Italian restaurants and grocery stores, home design stores, art galleries and residential units.
One of the more active downtown neighborhoods
Little Italy is one of the more active downtown neighborhoods, with frequent festivals and events including a weekly farmers market, also known as the Mercato (the Market, in Italian). The neighborhood has low crime rates when compared with other neighborhoods in Downtown San Diego[3] and is maintained by the Little Italy Neighborhood Association, which looks after trash collection, decorations, and special events.
Little Italy’s throughout the United States have symbolized the tremendous contributions Italians have made to this country. Unfortunately, many of these historically established business districts are disappearing before our eyes. These Little Italy’s are either declining due to growth of other adjacent ethnic neighborhoods or are a shadow of their former glory due to the dispersion of Italian families from these districts.
History
Little Italy in San Diego is different. A stable ethnic business and residential community since the 1920’s, Little Italy today represents Downtown San Diego’s oldest continuous neighborhood business district. At one time, more than 6,000 Italian families lived in Little Italy and toiled to build San Diego into the center of the world tuna industry.
With the decline of the tuna industry on the West Coast and the destruction of 35% of Little Italy due to the construction of Interstate 5, Little Italy suffered nearly thirty years of decline. In the early 1990’s, established property owners and family run business owners decided to take their fate into their own hands.
Today San Diego’s Little Italy is on the brink of rebuilding its greatness. New Italian American and non-Italian business owners alike are seeking retail and professional space. Creative builders and architects are building beautiful new developments and the local redevelopment agency is funding more than three million in street improvements on the main commercial corridor, India street. The Little Italy Association has aggressive plans to bring the story of Little Italy to its visitors through public art displays. Little Italy, San Diego is serving as a model for the handful of Little Italys remaining throughout the country.
Our business district is rooted in the toil of immigrants and the perseverance and optimism of a new group of business owners. The strength of their faith and the waterfront is what has supported families in Little Italy for generations.
Geography
Little Italy is located in the northwest end of Downtown, a few blocks from the Embarcadero. It is located north of Columbia, south of Middletown, southeast of Core, southwest of Bankers Hill/Park West and west of Cortez Hill. The neighborhood is located on the side of a hill, with a significant rise in elevation as one approaches Interstate.
The district is bordered by West Laurel Street to the north, West Ash Street to the south, Interstate and Front Street to the east and the San Diego Bay and Pacific Highway to the west.
India Street, the commercial corridor, runs through the heart of Little Italy, intermingled with high-density mixed-use buildings and single-family bungalow-style historic properties in a highly walkable 48-square-block area.
Annual events
The majority of events held are related to Italian culture. Most of the events center on and around India street, usually bordered by Grape street to north and Beech Street or Ash Street to the south.
Every Saturday, 8:00am – 2:00pm, on W. Cedar Street and every Wednesday, 9:00am – 1:00pm, on W. Date Street; Little Italy hosts the Little Italy Mercato. This Italian farmers’ market features freshly caught fish, vegetables and fruit from local farmers, pastries from local bakeries, flowers and plants from local farms, and art from local artists.
The Saturday before Mardi Gras, there is the Little Italy Carnevale, a Venetian mask event with several vignettes of entertainment and an open house for retail shops and restaurants.
In April, there is ArtWalk, the largest art event in the west coast with over 120,000 people coming to purchase various mediums of art – paintings, photography, jewelry, furniture and more. Also in April, there is Gran Fondo (Big Ride) Colnago San Diego, where over 3,000 bicycle riders from all over the world come to ride throughout “America’s Finest City” in a 32, 53 or 100 mile ride that starts under the Little Italy landmark sign.
In May, the Sicilian American community of San Diego celebrates the Sicilian Festival, the first Italian festival held in Little Italy, launched in 1993. It features Italian and Sicilian entertainment, a cultural pavilion highlighting the contributions of the Italians of San Diego, vendors, and Sicilian cuisine.
In May and again in November, there is the Taste of Little Italy (Spring), where attendees pay to sample food from over 20 participating restaurants and entertainment throughout the community. Proceeds from this event go to the Little Italy Association.[13]
In September, there is the Labor Day Stickball Tournament, where several stickball leagues come to play on the streets of Little Italy. This time honored east coast game is played like baseball, but with some minor tweaks. Every third year the San Diego leagues host a West Coast Invitational where they invite New York and Puerto Rico to play on the streets of San Diego’s Little Italy.
In October, there is the Little Italy Festa, the largest Italian festival outside of New York City, with over 150 Italian food and crafter booths, three stages of entertainment, the Gesso Italiano Street Painting Festival, a stickball exhibition game, bocce ball tournament and beer & wine gardens. Also in October, there is the Bulls of St. Agata Charge Little Italy; this event showcases over 50 Lamborghinis from all over the United States.
In December, there is the Little Italy Christmas Village and Tree Lighting. This event has progressively gotten larger and larger, with Santa Claus riding in on Little Italy Fire Engine #3 kicking off the festivities of music, shopping and bubbly snow flakes for the kids.
References
https://web.archive.org/web/20100415154904/http://www.littleitalysd.com/History.asp
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Italy,_San_Diego
