Little Italy
Check out Little Italy – a part of San Diego’s inner city which beholds a great place to shop, dine and visit. Larger than Little Italy neighborhoods in San Francisco, New York or St. Louis, this neighborhood offers bay views, art, cultural activities hosted annually, celebration of holidays, music and art (including Mardi Gras), Columbus Day Festa, ArtWalk, a Bocce Ball Tournamaneet and Easter celebrations.
Erected in 1999, the Little Italy street sign stands between India Street and Fir and helps identify the neighborhood that serves as the heart and soul of the Italian American community. India Street is the heart of the neighborhood with outdoor cafes, galleries and specialty shops and Amici Park Park provides a playground and community park.
History of San Diego’s Little Italy
Italians primarily from Italy, Sicily and Genoa were drawn to California because of its climate and geography which is similar to their homeland. Quiet a few of the early arrivals adopted the area around Kettner Boulevard, Columbia, India and State Street as their new home. A natural harbor and year around great climate resulted in San Diego becoming the home base for the pacific tuna fishing fleet. Italian immigrants that didn’t own or work on fishing boats usually started seafood processing plants, seafood marketing businesses or Italian restaurants specializing in seafood. More than forty thousand people were employed directly or indirectly by the tuna industry in the late seventies in San Diego.
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