Italian District/Neighborhood? (Phoenix: movies, living, restaurants)

[Dean Winchester]

I'm talking about Italian-Americans. Over here in Jersey, it's the next best thing. We're the closest thing to real Italians off the boot (1). you know what I mean?

(1) "Off the boot" is a saying that most nearly means "Outside of Italy"

New Jersey the Guido capital of the world.

[wize.guy1]

Thank you to everyone who gave me links and resources for finding some sort of Italian community and/or restaurants. I'm liking a coupla places that were linked, so I greatly appreciate your time and help.

[STrapani1105]

Originally Posted by Dean Winchester

New Jersey the Guido capital of the world.

yeah, there are a fair number of young men who consider themselves part of the Guido subculture. there was like a Guido craze last year when that video "My New Haircut" came out. more and more people started to embrace it. most of them weren't even real Italians like me (Off the boot). it kind of died down though, after the summer of 2008.

the first time i ever noticed the style though was with the Gotti boys. that family is about as Italian as you can get here in America. there's tons of people like them on Long Island, and even more so on Staten Island. not so much anymore, but Staten Island was insanely Italian about 10 years ago. 44% of its 500,000 + people were of italian ancestry.

see, it is this part of the nation that houses the most authentic Italian-Americans that you will find off the Italian Peninsula. there is an epicenter around New York City, the pinpoint starts in manhattan, specifically Little Italy and the Lower East Side, and extends outward to New Jersey, Westchester, NY, Long Island, the other 4 boroughs of NYC, and parts of Connecticut. outside of there it gets a bit more sparse and some authenticity is lost. you can tell by judging the quality of the Italian food in that area. that's why i don't like it when my fellow paisans move away.

[Finger Laker]

NJ Italian-Americans are about as far as you can get from real Italian people

those on the boot laugh at your IROCs and chains

[Laceystep]

If you're looking for a neighborhood with an Italian/Tuscan flare, you should check out Bella Via by Pulte Homes in SouthEast Mesa. Bella Via has a beautiful towered entry with a central water feature enclosed with Italian-style columns, social gardens, outdoor ampitheater, tot lots with ramada and BBQ areas, future dog park and basketball courts, and all within minutes of shopping, restaurants, hospitals, and freeways. Granted, it's no Little Italy, but you should check it out!

[STrapani1105]

Originally Posted by Finger Laker

NJ Italian-Americans are about as far as you can get from real Italian people

those on the boot laugh at your IROCs and chains

yea clearly you don't know anything about us. no one drives a camaro around here. and yes typically italian-americans where a cross around there neck, or they have an emblem of there patron saint. we're not rappers we don't wear huge chains.

and where do the most authentic italian-americans live in the US? if not New York/New Jersey, then where?

[ArizonaBear]

Originally Posted by STrapani1105

yea clearly you don't know anything about us. no one drives a camaro around here. and yes typically italian-americans where a cross around there neck, or they have an emblem of there patron saint. we're not rappers we don't wear huge chains.

and where do the most authentic italian-americans live in the US? if not New York/New Jersey, then where?

You brought up an interesting point:

I have known many a 'Joisey/NY Italian' over the years and there is a definite 'ethnic minority' vibe about some of them. Flip side; I have met many folks of Italian heritage born/raised here in California or Arizona who do not feel any strong kinship with things 'Italian' over and beyond things like pizza, etc. The latter group are simply 'American'

Too: here in Arizona many 'Italians' play down the Guido thing since they do not wish to be associated with the Vato element of lower class Mexican/Chicano culture. My G/F: when she moved here in 1969 from Connecticut at age 16 (with her parents) saw her first Hispanics---------she thought they were Italian due to their olive complexions, etc. Never mind that G/F is 1/2 Italian herself.

[drb85650]

I've not found anything even remotely close to other cities "Italian" neighborhoods. A restaurant, sure. A neighborhood? nope.
Oh to eat at Mama Santos in Clevelands Little Italy one more time...or a plate of pasta at Colacci's outside Denver...

[STrapani1105]

Originally Posted by ArizonaBear

You brought up an interesting point:

I have known many a 'Joisey/NY Italian' over the years and there is a definite 'ethnic minority' vibe about some of them. Flip side; I have met many folks of Italian heritage born/raised here in California or Arizona who do not feel any strong kinship with things 'Italian' over and beyond things like pizza, etc. The latter group are simply 'American'

Too: here in Arizona many 'Italians' play down the Guido thing since they do not wish to be associated with the Vato element of lower class Mexican/Chicano culture. My G/F: when she moved here in 1969 from Connecticut at age 16 (with her parents) saw her first Hispanics---------she thought they were Italian due to their olive complexions, etc. Never mind that G/F is 1/2 Italian herself.

thank you! i knew I was right. I think it also might be because the East Coast is closer to Italy than the West Coast. It's also a clear shot from New York and other parts across the Atlantic Ocean to italy.

[Finger Laker]

the NJ italians are pretty much wannabes - one of the best episodes of the sopranos is when they went to italy and pretty much everyone laughed at them

also the stereotypical "italian/american" running around spouting "fugghetaboudit", "madone" and butchering the pronunciation of capicola are a definite minority of people from Italian descent - even on the east coast

the gotti boys are a caracature and a joke - same as the double popped collar d'bag frat boys - they don't represent any italian culture

i also speak as someone with a name that ends in a vowel and was born & raised in the NE

although I think you're just playing around - if you are really interested in italian heritage, look up the italians who emigrated in through CA ....... there are many of them in the mid to late 1800s - also look up the founding of columbus day - by an italian immigrant whose family came in through CA and was living in CO