Little Italy Isn’t Dead: Monument to First Italian-American Settler

Periodically, there’s an article about how Little Italy is dead or dying. Yes, it’s more of a tourist destination and less of a neighborhood where Italian people live. There are still some Italians there, and there are Italian-American-owned businesses there. A recent article in the New York Times made me want to write a series on Little Italy Isn’t Dead and feature some of the businesses there.

In front of the Italian American Museum on Mulberry and Grand Streets is a monument dedicated to the first Italian settler to the United States, Peter Caesar Alberti, who came on June 2, 1635.

Advertisements

Little Italy Isn’t Dead: Vinny’s Nut House

Periodically, there’s an article about how Little Italy is dead or dying. Yes, it’s more of a tourist destination and less of a neighborhood where Italian people live. There are still some Italians there, and there are Italian-American-owned businesses there. A recent article in the New York Times made me want to write a series on Little Italy Isn’t Dead and feature some of the businesses there.

Vinny’s Nut House

Vinny’s Nut House is a street cart owned by Vincent Sabatino, who was born and raised in Little Italy. He sells torrone, which is an Italian nougat, as well as roasted nuts and Italian cookies like anisette toasts and lemon cookies. The stand is on Mulberry and Grand outside of the Italian American Museum.

Little Italy Isn’t Dead: Italian American Museum

Periodically, there’s an article about how Little Italy is dead or dying. Yes, it’s more of a tourist destination and less of a neighborhood where Italian people live. There are still some Italians there, and there are Italian-American-owned businesses there. A recent article in the New York Times made me want to write a series on Little Italy Isn’t Dead and feature some of the businesses there.

Italian American Museum

The Italian American Museum is on the southwest corner of Mulberry and Grand Streets. Right now, it is a small museum in the former Banca Stabile building, a bank opened in 1885 to serve the local Italian immigrant community. However, it will soon be a much larger museum, and it is currently closed for renovations.

The museum has a permanent collection of historic documents, photos and original fixtures of the bank. It also hosts exhibits and lectures. This is a picture of the statue of the Madonna del Soccorso di Sciacca that was at the museum, which was moved to Most Precious Blood Church this week.

Little Italy Isn’t Dead: Forlini’s

Periodically, there’s an article about how Little Italy is dead or dying. Yes, it’s more of a tourist destination and less of a neighborhood where Italian people live. There are still some Italians there, and there are Italian-American-owned businesses there. A recent article in the New York Times made me want to write a series on Little Italy Isn’t Dead and feature some of the businesses there.

Forlini’s

Forlini’s has been serving Italian food since 1943. It is on Baxter Street below Canal in Chinatown. What newcomers to New York may not realize is that Little Italy used to be much larger, and there are remnants of it sprinkled throughout Soho, Nolita, Little Italy and Chinatown. (The houses my family moved to from Italy are on the part of Mulberry Street in Chinatown.) The restaurant’s menu says it serves Northern Italian cuisine, but it has a lot of Southern Italian cuisine as well. In addition to being a classic Italian restaurant, it is also a classic New York restaurant and a must for anyone wanting some NY nostalgia.

Little Italy Isn’t Dead: Sal’s Little Italy

Periodically, there’s an article about how Little Italy is dead or dying. Yes, it’s more of a tourist destination and less of a neighborhood where Italian people live. There are still some Italians there, and there are Italian-American-owned businesses there. A recent article in the New York Times made me want to write a series on Little Italy Isn’t Dead and feature some of the businesses there.

Sal’s Little Italy

Sal’s Pizza opened in Little Italy in 1977. In 1982, Neapolitan immigrants Carmela and Antonio Triolo bought it and the family still owns it today. The star here is the fried calzone–how calzones should be made.

And this is one of the best pizzas in the city. Sal’s also has a full menu of appetizers, pastas, sandwiches and entrees, including specialties like Italian sausage and broccoli rabe.

Little Italy Isn’t Dead: Memorial to Veterans

Periodically, there’s an article about how Little Italy is dead or dying. Yes, it’s more of a tourist destination and less of a neighborhood where Italian people live. There are still some Italians there, and there are Italian-American-owned businesses there. A recent article in the New York Times made me want to write a series on Little Italy Isn’t Dead and feature some of the businesses there.

Veterans Memorial

Created in 2011, the memorial is in the courtyard of the Most Precious Blood Church on Mulberry Street.  It lists the names of the soldiers from Little Italy who served the country.

Little Italy Isn’t Dead: Lombardi’s

Periodically, there’s an article about how Little Italy is dead or dying. Yes, it’s more of a tourist destination and less of a neighborhood where Italian people live. There are still some Italians there, and there are Italian-American-owned businesses there. A recent article in the New York Times made me want to write a series on Little Italy Isn’t Dead and feature some of the businesses there.

Lombardi’s

Lombardi’s on Spring Street is the oldest pizzeria in the United States, founded in 1905 by immigrant Gennaro Lombardi from Naples, Italy. The pizza is baked in a coal-fired oven just as it was back in the day. And it is one of the best pies in New York City and the country. It’s the must-stop for any pizza aficionado.