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It's true, it's shrinking. I used to love visiting Little Italy as a kid, then as a teenager and young adult, but each time I came back it was smaller and smaller. Now it's the smallest I've ever seen it, and I think someday it will be gone completely.
I think a couple other people mentioned the Bronx. I was planning on taking my wife out to Arthur Ave. for our upcoming anniversary. Is it worth it? Any restaurants worth checking out? She is Cuban-Italian but identifies more strongly with the Italian side, and I want to take her someplace that reminds her of her grandparent's southern Italian cooking. (She also grew up on Long Island and probably knows the city a lot better than me, but this is a surprise so obviously, I can't ask her.)
It's true, it's shrinking. I used to love visiting Little Italy as a kid, then as a teenager and young adult, but each time I came back it was smaller and smaller. Now it's the smallest I've ever seen it, and I think someday it will be gone completely.
I think a couple other people mentioned the Bronx. I was planning on taking my wife out to Arthur Ave. for our upcoming anniversary. Is it worth it? Any restaurants worth checking out? She is Cuban-Italian but identifies more strongly with the Italian side, and I want to take her someplace that reminds her of her grandparent's southern Italian cooking. (She also grew up on Long Island and probably knows the city a lot better than me, but this is a surprise so obviously, I can't ask her.)
Definitely worth it. Check out Yelp.com. Look for The Bronx, and then the Belmont neighborhood.
Little Italy on the brink of "extinction"? Yea and what of it?
So is Yorkville (German and Hungarian)
Five Points/Hell's Kitchen (Irish)
Spanish Harlem (Puerto Rican)
Bushwick (German)
Lower East Side (Jewish)
And so it goes.
Ethnic enclaves in various parts of NYC have declined and or changed over the years in response to shifting demographics, nothing new here folks.
In many of these areas you found two particular patterns; persons moved up and out were replaced by new immigrants arriving in NYC from the old country and went where they could find family or at least persons of their own background.
Many may wax nostalgic for those old tenements on the LES and Little Italy but plenty of families couldn't wait to move out.
It also must be remembered that many of the residents of LES, Little Italy, even the West Village were employed in what was once the large and thriving manufacturing, shipping and other forms of commerce down there. Much if not most of all that is long gone.
In contrast, the Chinatowns in major north american cities like VC, SF, LA, NYC etc continue to thrive and expand for ever. I wonder why...
Good point...why isn't there a Little Italy in Staten Island? It would make perfect sense.
I guess the ppl (italian immigrants) who created little italies have mostly retired or passed away and their children (italian americans) do not have the skill/will to live any italian-style of lives but to live like regular americans.
Last weekend I had a $4 ice cream cone at famed FERRARA. What did it taste like ? Like supermarket brand ice cream. There was nothing italian about it. I've had some very good italian sorbets and gelato and this wasn't it.
Last weekend I had a $4 ice cream cone at famed FERRARA. What did it taste like ? Like supermarket brand ice cream. There was nothing italian about it. I've had some very good italian sorbets and gelato and this wasn't it.
Good Riddance.
That 'Italian' gelato, like everything else these days, probably came out of a box marked 'made in China'.
Because a few things, yes the Chinese have surrounded Little Italy and will no doubt swoop in once those properties are up for sale.
But, most Americans these days just won't pay the prices some of the Little Italy eatery charges. I went to Little Italy on restaurant week and every restaurant have their Prefix menu posted but most of them are empty. While Chinatown was packed with tourists on the other side mainly because tourists love fake handbags and cheap food.
Majority of Americans rather eat at Olive Garden than go to a real Italian restaurant and rather eat mass-market delivery pizza than from a local Italian pizzeria.
People say many Italians move from BK to SI. Where is the new Little Italy in Staten Island?
Everything south of the SI Expressway.
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