Remembering the REAL Little Italy, Manhattan 50's-early 90's (New York, Greenwich: for rent, condo)

[Dexterguy]

Yah, yah... I know Little Italy is one big tourist trap, that's what everyone in NYC tells you when an outsider wants to go experience and have dinner there. But, it was not always like that...were every restaurant on Mulberry Street was mediocre or some just absolutely terrible, and the waiters and even owners don't have an once of Italian blood in them. Little Italy use to be the real thing...authentic. A place where Italian-Americans actually use to live. I remember my grand parents telling me that Little Italy it self was split into smaller communities. The famous Mulberry Street was home of the immigrants that came from Naples. While Elizebeth St was home to the Sicilians. While other streets belonged to the Calabrians and the Genovese. But that's all long gone. Now as everyone knows, Little Italy has been singled down to one single Street...Mulberry.

The reason why I started this thread was not to go on and on about Little Italy's demise, but to remember what it use to be, when it actually was a Little Italy.

Many of the best places that Little Italy once hosted are long gone sadly. Just to name a few...

Paolucci's - One of my favorites on Mulberry St. It was the real thing. It had the greast food with the best red sauce you could make. They are actually still around in Staten Island now on Forest Ave, but it doesn't match that old authentic buiding they had on Mulberry from 47' -05'. The building were they used to be is still vacant and for rent last time I was on Mulberry...shows how greedy landlords are.

Luna's - I knew alot of people who loved this restaurant or hated it. No matter what I always had a good experience when going to Luna's. It was family owned for almost a century I believe by the same family (the Luna's). When I was in Little Italy in 2006 I wanted to go to this remaining gem...but found that it, like so many others in Little Italy had bitten the dust. A few months later it was converted into one of those cheap gift shop's that sell cheap clothes. Another sad loss.

Taormina - This place was not your "authentic" place, but more of the classy place. It was very upscale but very good. I know that it also was a long standing place on Mulberry that had problems with raising rent costs and had to close in 2007. It's still vacant with the sign still hanging above it.

Villa Pensa - Though it closed it's doors many many years ago on Grand Street in the early 1990's I believe it was one of the bests in Little Italy. It had some of the best fish and fried calamari that you could ever get your hands on. Not to mention the authentic atmosphere. Today, the building has been completely demolished and a Chinese trading company is in it's place.

Ruggiero - This place was also on Grand Street right next to Villa Pensa. It was also on of those "old school" Italian places that you just can't find anymore, especially in Little Italy. In it's place now is the Malaysian restaurant Nyonya. I've been in there, and they have exceptional Malaysian dishes, but I still miss Ruggiero's to this day.

Forzano's Italian Imports - Though not a restaurant, it was the last real Italian store in Little Italy, before all of the gift shops invaded. You could get anything Italian at Forzano's. Kitchenware, pasta makers, garlic crushers, and a huge selection of cutery. They tore the entire store down a few years back in 2005 and built a modern looking condo building that houses the Giovanna's Italian Restaurant (big tourist trap) on the ground level.

Even though Little Italy is is a shadow of what it once was there are still a few places that I enjoy. Il Fornaio is by far the best in my opinion that is still around. Il Cortile also has many delicious northern Italian dishes that can't be found anywhere else in Little Italy or even Manhattan.

Even though I perfer to go out of Little Italy for breads and pastries, the ones that are still authentically Italian are La Bella Ferrara (next to were Luna's use to be) not Ferrara's but La Bella Ferrara's. And Caffe Roma on Broome St, were they still have the old tin ceilings and early century chairs. Other places that are good are Caffe Reggio in Greenwich Village, and Veniero's in East Village.

The remaining grocery stores that remain in Little Italy are also very good. Including the over 100 year old Alleva Dairy on the corner on Mulberry and Grand Streets. Along with it's neighbor DiPalo's a block down on Mott and Grand Streets which is now considered Chinatown. Another place to add to the list that have survived all these years is the Piemonte Raviloi Co. next to Alleva. They have the best Tortellini, Ravioli, and Gnocchi that you can buy.

If anyone remembers any Little Italy or New York restaurants that they loved and had to see go, you can share your memories to, I'd love to hear them!

[LiveUrban]

Italy the country isn't even like Italy anymore.

It's been Americanized and people don't have many children anymore. The famed "Italian family life" has collapsed because well.. there are not enough children being born.

Home cooking culture is being lost in Italy and the recipes that were passed down for generations are now missing a link to pass it on.

[Lakewooder]

Originally Posted by Dexterguy

Yah, yah... I know Little Italy is one big tourist trap, that's what everyone in NYC tells you when an outsider wants to go experience and have dinner there. But, it was not always like that...were every restaurant on Mulberry Street was mediocre or some just absolutely terrible, and the waiters and even owners don't have an once of Italian blood in them. Little Italy use to be the real thing...authentic. A place where Italian-Americans actually use to live. I remember my grand parents telling me that Little Italy it self was split into smaller communities. The famous Mulberry Street was home of the immigrants that came from Naples. While Elizebeth St was home to the Sicilians. While other streets belonged to the Calabrians and the Genovese. But that's all long gone. Now as everyone knows, Little Italy has been singled down to one single Street...Mulberry.

The reason why I started this thread was not to go on and on about Little Italy's demise, but to remember what it use to be, when it actually was a Little Italy.

Many of the best places that Little Italy once hosted are long gone sadly. Just to name a few...

Paolucci's - One of my favorites on Mulberry St. It was the real thing. It had the greast food with the best red sauce you could make. They are actually still around in Staten Island now on Forest Ave, but it doesn't match that old authentic buiding they had on Mulberry from 47' -05'. The building were they used to be is still vacant and for rent last time I was on Mulberry...shows how greedy landlords are.

Luna's - I knew alot of people who loved this restaurant or hated it. No matter what I always had a good experience when going to Luna's. It was family owned for almost a century I believe by the same family (the Luna's). When I was in Little Italy in 2006 I wanted to go to this remaining gem...but found that it, like so many others in Little Italy had bitten the dust. A few months later it was converted into one of those cheap gift shop's that sell cheap clothes. Another sad loss.

Taormina - This place was not your "authentic" place, but more of the classy place. It was very upscale but very good. I know that it also was a long standing place on Mulberry that had problems with raising rent costs and had to close in 2007. It's still vacant with the sign still hanging above it.

Villa Pensa - Though it closed it's doors many many years ago on Grand Street in the early 1990's I believe it was one of the bests in Little Italy. It had some of the best fish and fried calamari that you could ever get your hands on. Not to mention the authentic atmosphere. Today, the building has been completely demolished and a Chinese trading company is in it's place.

Ruggiero - This place was also on Grand Street right next to Villa Pensa. It was also on of those "old school" Italian places that you just can't find anymore, especially in Little Italy. In it's place now is the Malaysian restaurant Nyonya. I've been in there, and they have exceptional Malaysian dishes, but I still miss Ruggiero's to this day.

Forzano's Italian Imports - Though not a restaurant, it was the last real Italian store in Little Italy, before all of the gift shops invaded. You could get anything Italian at Forzano's. Kitchenware, pasta makers, garlic crushers, and a huge selection of cutery. They tore the entire store down a few years back in 2005 and built a modern looking condo building that houses the Giovanna's Italian Restaurant (big tourist trap) on the ground level.

Even though Little Italy is is a shadow of what it once was there are still a few places that I enjoy. Il Fornaio is by far the best in my opinion that is still around. Il Cortile also has many delicious northern Italian dishes that can't be found anywhere else in Little Italy or even Manhattan.

Even though I perfer to go out of Little Italy for breads and pastries, the ones that are still authentically Italian are La Bella Ferrara (next to were Luna's use to be) not Ferrara's but La Bella Ferrara's. And Caffe Roma on Broome St, were they still have the old tin ceilings and early century chairs. Other places that are good are Caffe Reggio in Greenwich Village, and Veniero's in East Village.

The remaining grocery stores that remain in Little Italy are also very good. Including the over 100 year old Alleva Dairy on the corner on Mulberry and Grand Streets. Along with it's neighbor DiPalo's a block down on Mott and Grand Streets which is now considered Chinatown. Another place to add to the list that have survived all these years is the Piemonte Raviloi Co. next to Alleva. They have the best Tortellini, Ravioli, and Gnocchi that you can buy.

If anyone remembers any Little Italy or New York restaurants that they loved and had to see go, you can share your memories to, I'd love to hear them!

Thank you - I really enjoyed reading that - I did not start going to NYC until 1980 (I'm a life-long Dallasite) but I have been to several of those places (lot of good memories). I did not know that a couple of them had closed. SAD.