Little Italy, San Diego

Little Italy
—  Neighborhood of San Diego  —
The Little Italy sign.
Little Italy Location within Central San Diego
Coordinates: 32°43′27″N 117°10′2″W
Area
• Total	0.5 km2 (0.187 sq mi)
• Land	0.5 km2 (0.187 sq mi)
Population (2008)
• Total	1,046
• Density	2,161/km2 (5,597/sq mi)
ZIP Code	92101
Area code(s)	619

Little Italy is a somewhat hilly neighborhood in Downtown San Diego, California that was originally a predominately Italian fishing neighborhood. It has since been gentrified and now Little Italy is a scenic neighborhood composed mostly of Italian restaurants, Italian retail shops, home design stores, art galleries, and residential units.

Little Italy is one of the more active downtown neighborhoods and has frequent festivals and events including their very own 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 and is maintained by the Little Italy Neighborhood Association, which looks after trash collection, decorations, and special events.

Geography

Little Italy is located in the northwest end of Downtown, just a couple of blocks away from the Embarcadero. It is located north of Columbia, south of Middletown, southeast of Core, and west of Cortez Hill. It is also located on a hill thus giving its hilly terrain.

This district is bordered by West Laurel Street to the north, West Ash Street to the south, Interstate 5/Front Street to the east and the San Diego Bay to the west and Pacific Highway to the west.

India Street, the thriving commercial corridor, runs straight through heart of Little Italy; intermingled with high-density mixed-use buildings and single-family bungalow style historic properties. A fairly easy walk, San Diego's Little Italy is over 48 square blocks filled with rich Italian culture; which allows visitors to absorb the people, sights, and overall atmosphere.

Little Italy is one trolley stop away from the Santa Fe Train Depot, two trolley stops away from American Plaza trolley transfer station, three trolley stops away from the Old Town Transit Center, and is in close proximity to San Diego International Airport.

History

Mural painted on Interstate 5 onramp depicting Little Italy's fishing heritage.

Historically, Little Italy was the home to Italian fishermen and their families. Many Italians moved to San Diego from San Francisco after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake in search of tuna and other deep-sea sport and commercial fish.

When Interstate 5 was constructed through Little Italy in the early 1970s, 35% of the neighborhood was destroyed and during the same time the California tuna industry was declining, which caused the neighborhood to suffer nearly 30 years of decline.

With the creation of the Little Italy Association in 1996, the neighborhood has gone through gentrification and has seen a renaissance as Community Benefit District specializing in Italian food, boutique shopping and maintenance that makes this shopping district the place to live in Downtown San Diego. Prior to gentrification, the neighborhood was mainly composed of low-density commercial businesses and single-family detached homes. Currently, the neighborhood is mainly composed of residential units, mostly mid-rises, high-rises, and lofts, with ground floor retail stores and a few commercial buildings.

In 2006, the Italian Historical Society of San Diego established the Italian Community Digital Archives, a project to preserve the Italian community's heritage and cultural artifacts through photographs, documents, and oral histories. As a result, a digital repository for community artifacts now exists to catalog the history of Little Italy. For more information on the heritage of Little Italy and the history of the Italian community in San Diego, you can visit italianhistory.org.

Development

There are multiple public improvements and high-rise and mid-rise buildings under construction or approved and scheduled for construction. The northern part of Little Italy is less densely populated than the southern part of Little Italy, which is mainly made up of high-rise and mid-rise buildings.

Although many of the buildings have been renovated, the new buildings duplicate the same feelings of their original establishments. Huge archways, outside eating, and lots of vegetation make you feel as though you've walked straight into Italy and stop by all the little boutiques, cafes and restaurants.

During special events, many of these family-owned restaurants let you try their specialties and open their doors to locals and visitors alike.

All around the main street, India Street, you can see public art, various Piazzas, and places that make you want to stop and take in the San Diego Sun.

With new galleries, antique shops, and home accessory stores; Little Italy North (North of Grape Street) has been dubbed San Diego's newest Art & Design District.

Community groups

Little Italy has a Business Improvement District and Community Benefit District that is maintained by the Little Italy Association (LIA), a public benefit 501(c)3 corporation established in 1996 to oversee and expedite the revitalization and beautification of Little Italy. The Association works for the residents, property owners, and business of Little Italy.

The Italian Community Center of San Diego, a 500 member non-profit organization founded in 1981 for people interested in Italian culture and language, is located in this neighborhood. This foundation helps keep the buildings that are able to be restored alive, and keep the new-age out. They are all focused on keeping the feeling of Italy in this little nook of San Diego.

The Italian Historical Society of San Diego preserves Italian cultural identity through research, exhibits, and events. Its cornerstone program, the Italian Community Digital Archives, is an online repository of Italian community historical photographs, documents, and oral histories.

Annual events

2007 Corso degli Artisti Street Painting Festival

2007 13th annual Precious Festa

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, 9:00am – 1:30pm, on 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, and art from Little Italy's very own 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 attending 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 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.

Also in May, is the Taste of Little Italy (Spring), which 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.

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 November, is another Taste of Little Italy (Fall), which attendees pay to sample food from over 20 participating restaurants and entertainment throughout the community.

In December, there is the Little Italy Christmas Village and Tree Lighting; this event has progressively got 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.

External links

• Little Italy Association
• Little Italy's Mercato
• Dine Little Italy
• Public Art
• Italian Community Center
• Italian Historical Society of San Diego
• Variety Art Gallery in Little Italy
• Numero Water Boutique in Little Italy
• Little Italy from San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau
• Information on Little Italy Neighborhood

Annual events

• Little Italy FESTA!
• Mission Federal ArtWalk
• Taste of Little Italy
• Sicilian Festival
• Art Walk Guide from About.com