When you think of “Little Italy,” you may picture the well-known Italian American neighborhoods in downtown Manhattan and the Bronx — but did you know that there are hubs of Italian culture in almost every corner of New York City?

Following their mass immigration to New York in the late nineteenth century, Italian Americans dispersed throughout the city’s five boroughs, establishing Italian neighborhoods nearly everywhere they went. While the better-known Little Italies in Manhattan and the Bronx are smaller than they once were, Italian culture has hardly disappeared. Today, with over three million Italian Americans who call the city home, Italianità is everywhere you look.

Read on to discover New York’s other “Little Italies” across the five boroughs, where you can enjoy the taste of authentic Italian cuisine, overhear Italian or even dialect on the street, and feel like you’re in Italy without ever stepping on a plane.  

Little Italy of Manhattan, in its heyday at the very beginning of the twentieth century, housed about 10,000 Italian immigrants from Kenmare to Canal Streets and from Lafayette Street to the Bowery. Today, the area has only about 1,200 Italian Americans according to the 2000 U.S. Census, and spans just three blocks of Mulberry Street from Canal Street to Broome Street. Gentrification has hit this area hard in recent years, and family-owned restaurants and shops have been forced to close their doors, unable to compete with skyrocketing rents and condominium proposals. Still, the annual Festival of San Gennaro presents a commercialized version of Italian culture that attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists every September.

The Little Italy of the Bronx, which many Bronx natives refer to as the “real” Little Italy, encompasses the Belmont neighborhood, spanning from about 183rd Street to Fordham Road, with Arthur Avenue as its main hub. The area has been heavily populated with Albanian immigrants since the early 1970’s, and many of them have taken over once Italian-run restaurants, shops, and other businesses. The Italian spirit of the Bronx still lives on annually during the ever-expanding Ferragosto Harvest Festival in early September. 

Another “Little Italy” that is often overlooked is Italian Harlem, the area of East Harlem that has been referred to as “Spanish Harlem” since Italian Americans began leaving in the 1950’s and were replaced by Latin Americans. Although the area can scarcely be called “Italian” anymore, Italian culture returns once each year on Pleasant Avenue in East Harlem with the Giglio di Sant’Antonio festival. In this remarkable event, Italian Americans build an 85-foot-tall tower and carry it through the streets to celebrate the feast of Saint Anthony. This festival has taken place every second Sunday of August in East Harlem since immigrants from the Neapolitan village of Brusciano brought the tradition to the United States in 1901.

Staten Island is bursting with Italian pride. It is the borough with the largest concentration of Italian Americans. Its over 175,000 Italian American residents constitute almost 40% of the total population. Staten Island is also home to the Garibaldi-Meucci Museum, a source of Italian American pride on the island. The museum pays tribute to Italian revolutionary Giuseppe Garibaldi, who took refuge in the United States from 1850-1851 at the Staten Island home of his friend Antonio Meucci (known as the true inventor of the telephone).

A quaint Little Italy is tucked away in southwestern Queens, in the neighborhood of Howard Beach. Nearly half of Howard Beach’s residents have Italian ancestry. The neighborhood is known for its many Italian restaurants and cafes, including Brother’s Ravioli, famous for its fresh fish. Italian Americans make up a major part of neighboring southwestern Queens neighborhood, Ozone Park, as well.

Brooklyn is historically known for being loud and proud about its Italian heritage. The most notable section is Bensonhurst, the “Little Italy of Brooklyn”, famous for many eateries and Italian flair, especially Lenny’s Pizza, which was featured in the film Saturday Night Fever. Despite the integration of many other cultures into the southern Brooklyn neighborhood, Bensonhurst’s Festa di Santa Rosalia at the end of every summer continues to draw in crowds. Southern Brooklyn is also home to the neighborhood of Mill Basin, where Italian Americans account for 25% of the population and many small family-owned stores and delis adhere to old-time Italian tradition.  

No matter how many times they shift around the five boroughs, Italian American communities will always have an unmistakable presence in New York. It appears that the magic of Italianità that existed among thousands of Italians passing through Ellis Island will never disappear from New York City. 

by Mara Santilli