New York City Little Italy

Little Italy is a stop on many hop-on hop-off bus tours, and its restaurants, bakeries, and side streets can be easily explored in a single afternoon. Some walking tours combine this neighborhood with nearby Chinatown, SoHo, and the Lower East Side, while others offer a more in-depth look at the area’s history, including its 19th-century tenement buildings and historic mafia hangouts.

Little Italy is one of Manhattan’s top foodie destinations, and food tours that include tastings from pizza to pastries are a popular way to explore the area. Joint tours of Little Italy and Chinatown are sometimes offered due to the neighborhoods’ proximity, offering an even broader selection of the area’s hidden gems and eateries.

• Little Italy is a must for foodies and history buffs.

• Wear comfortable walking shoes, as Little Italy and its surrounding neighborhoods are best explored on foot.

• Bring cash: Some of the area’s smaller eateries do not take credit.

• Visit the MTA’s website for updates on subway detours and weekend transit schedules.

Sandwiched between SoHo and the Lower East Side, Little Italy is easily accessible using New York City’s comprehensive public transit system. The nearest subway stops are Canal Street on trains N, Q, R, W, J, Z, and 6 and Grand Street on trains B and D. Bus M1 also stops at Centre and Broome streets, a 2-minute walk from the heart of Little Italy. Alternatively, a Citi Bike bike-share dock is located on the corner of Lafayette and Howard streets.

As one of Manhattan’s most frequented neighborhoods, Little Italy is almost always buzzing with locals and visitors. To avoid the crowds, go for a morning coffee and pastry and explore before the 1pm lunch rush. Little Italy is best known for its annual Italian-American Feast of San Gennaro festival, held in late September. Crowds flock to Mulberry Street for food, drinks, and the Grand Procession parade.

Cannoli are quintessential Italian-American cuisine, and Manhattan’s Little Italy offers myriad opportunities to sample and compare. Locals and visitors often agree that Caffe Roma, on the corner of Broome and Mulberry streets, has the best cannoli in town, but La Bella Ferrara, just north of Canal Street, is close competition. Decide for yourself during Little Italy’s annual Feast of San Gennaro, when vendors line Mulberry Street selling a selection of the neighborhood’s best pastries.

The Little Italy neighborhood in New York City’s Lower Manhattan is known for its Italian culture, which is evident in the Italian restaurants, bakeries, shops, and other eateries there. The area's history dates back to the 1840s, and some of the places in Little Italy, New York City, are more than 100 years old.

Today, the Little Italy area of New York City is just on Mulberry Street in Lower Manhattan. Little Italy runs five blocks down Mulberry Street, north of Canal Street. Some visitors can get confused because the Five Points area of New York City used to be Italian-influenced, but these days, it’s now a part of Chinatown.

All the best restaurants in New York City’s Little Italy are on Mulberry Street and feature delicious Italian-inspired dishes. Top picks include IL Cortile, L'Amore Restaurant, Zia Maria Little Italy, Osteria Barocca Little Italy, Casa D' Angelo, and Da Nico Ristorante.

The must-see attractions in Little Italy include the Italian American Museum, the Christmas in New York store, the “Audrey Hepburn” mural by Tristan Eaton, and the Ferrara Bakery and Cafe. You won’t want to miss the Ferrara Bakery and Cafe if you want to snag traditional cannoli and espresso.

Yes, there are guided tours available in the Little Italy neighborhood of New York City. The most popular type of tour to book in Little Italy is a food tour, but there are also walking tours for first-time visitors to get an introduction to the area. You can also book a combo tour to Little Italy and Chinatown in one day.

Yes, Little Italy is safe for tourists to visit and explore, but do keep in mind that, like all big cities within the US, crime is an issue. It’s best to stay alert in any part of New York City and not carry anything too valuable with you. Also, joining a guided tour is usually safer than going alone.