Little Italy, Manhattan

The five-block stretch of Mulberry Street where Italian immigration once reshaped New York.

Little Italy in Lower Manhattan is the historic neighborhood once defined by its dense Italian American population. Bounded today by Tribeca, Soho, Chinatown, the Bowery, and Nolita, it was far larger at its peak, stretching from Lafayette Street to the Bowery and Kenmare Street to Worth Street. Originating at Mulberry Bend within the former Five Points area, this enclave became a hub for immigrants arriving in the late 19th century. By 1910, the Italian-born population here was around 10,000 or more, marking the community's demographic zenith before economic mobility and shifting demographics altered its character.

Quick Facts

Location: Manhattan, New York City
Film appearance: The Godfather (locale for Corleone family)
Status: Part of the Chinatown and Little Italy Historic District

Lore & Background

In its heyday, Little Italy functioned as an insular Neapolitan village with its own language, customs, and financial institutions. Jacob Riis famously described the area's origin at Mulberry Bend as "the foul core of New York's slums," yet it rapidly evolved into a commercial gathering point for Italian dwelling and business. Bill Tonelli noted that while East Harlem held more Italians, Little Italy was perhaps the city's poorest Italian neighborhood. The influx of immigrants in the 1880s fueled the U.S. labor movement, particularly within the garment industry. By 2004, however, the area had transformed into a "veneer" of about 50 restaurants catering to tourists, covering a dense neighborhood now shared by recent Chinese immigrants and young Americans.

Reader's Guide

Visitors today find Little Italy reduced to five blocks on Mulberry Street north of Canal Street. Once bounded by Worth and Kenmare Streets, the neighborhood shrank as Chinese immigrants expanded from the south following the U.S. Immigration Act of 1965. By the 2000 census, only 8.25% of residents in these three census tracts claimed Italian ancestry, compared to 81% Chinese origins in adjacent Chinatown. The Feast of San Gennaro remains a key attraction, originating in 1926 as a one-day religious commemoration by Neapolitan immigrants and now lasting 11 days. While the area is listed on the National Register of Historic Places alongside Chinatown as of 2010, Tonelli warned that finding a speaker of Italian requires slowing your gaze to spot senior citizens loitering under awnings amidst the tourist crowds.