Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Where is Little Italy?

"Excuse me, where is Little Italy?"

It's one of my favorite questions. I get asked this about twice a week as I'm walking my dogs, usually while crossing the street in front of my apartment on the corner of Beech and Columbia. And I usually get asked when I'm in the middle of the road.

"Little Italy? You're in it!" I say to the driver of the SUV as I try to edge my dogs onto the safety of the sidewalk. I'm not sure why, but it's almost always an SUV. I smile, and wait for the surprised look.

You can almost set your watch to it. One...Two...Surprised Look. It's priceless. Sometimes the look is extremely incredulous. Sometimes the look is dirty, which is certainly less desirable, but priceless nonetheless. Evidently, an Asian guy walking two English Bulldogs in front of a high-rise apartment building is not what comes to mind when people think "Little Italy".

"Uhh...this is Little Italy?"

"Yup. This side of the 5 from A Street to Laurel. But if you're looking for restaurants, go up another block and turn right on India. You can't miss them."

"Oh," says the driver, finally cracking a smile, "Thanks!"

I often wonder what people expect when they think of "Little Italy". Maybe they expect to see men playing stickball in the streets, or to maybe witness some bocci ball action. Perhaps they envision people sitting in outdoor cafes, speaking Italian and gesturing wildly with their hands over espresso.

Well, the stickball tournament in the streets happens every first Sunday from February until June. Take a stroll to Amici Park, and there's a good chance that you'll see some bocci ball action, and the rustic outdoor cafe scene can be found throughout.

But you also might find yourself asking for directions from an Asian guy walking two bulldogs.

Little Italy is much more than just the parts that scream "Italian". According to the Little Italy Association, Little Italy encompasses most of the space between Laurel and A Street on the west side of I-5. There are a multitude of flourishing Italian and non-Italian owned businesses that make the area one of the most desirable places to live and work in San Diego. The tireless maintenance crews keep the streets clean and the public areas spotless. The people are warm and courteous. It's also probably the most dog-friendly neighborhood in Southern California.

Little Italy residents come from a host of backgrounds and ethnicites, and we're proud of the history of our neighborhood, which is steeped in tales of the perseverance of Italian immigrants who built a thriving community from nothing. It's the perfect example of a strongly ethnic neighborhood that is inclusive rather than exclusive.

So the next time you find yourself in a great part of San Diego wondering what neighborhood you're in, consider the possibility that you could be in Little Italy. It might not be obvious at first, but once you consider the clean streets, friendly people, and thriving businesses that make this neighborhood great, it will be clear as day.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all

Previous article

Celebrate Holi, Borrego Springs Music Festival

Events March 23-March 27, 2024

"Excuse me, where is Little Italy?"

It's one of my favorite questions. I get asked this about twice a week as I'm walking my dogs, usually while crossing the street in front of my apartment on the corner of Beech and Columbia. And I usually get asked when I'm in the middle of the road.

"Little Italy? You're in it!" I say to the driver of the SUV as I try to edge my dogs onto the safety of the sidewalk. I'm not sure why, but it's almost always an SUV. I smile, and wait for the surprised look.

You can almost set your watch to it. One...Two...Surprised Look. It's priceless. Sometimes the look is extremely incredulous. Sometimes the look is dirty, which is certainly less desirable, but priceless nonetheless. Evidently, an Asian guy walking two English Bulldogs in front of a high-rise apartment building is not what comes to mind when people think "Little Italy".

"Uhh...this is Little Italy?"

"Yup. This side of the 5 from A Street to Laurel. But if you're looking for restaurants, go up another block and turn right on India. You can't miss them."

"Oh," says the driver, finally cracking a smile, "Thanks!"

I often wonder what people expect when they think of "Little Italy". Maybe they expect to see men playing stickball in the streets, or to maybe witness some bocci ball action. Perhaps they envision people sitting in outdoor cafes, speaking Italian and gesturing wildly with their hands over espresso.

Well, the stickball tournament in the streets happens every first Sunday from February until June. Take a stroll to Amici Park, and there's a good chance that you'll see some bocci ball action, and the rustic outdoor cafe scene can be found throughout.

But you also might find yourself asking for directions from an Asian guy walking two bulldogs.

Little Italy is much more than just the parts that scream "Italian". According to the Little Italy Association, Little Italy encompasses most of the space between Laurel and A Street on the west side of I-5. There are a multitude of flourishing Italian and non-Italian owned businesses that make the area one of the most desirable places to live and work in San Diego. The tireless maintenance crews keep the streets clean and the public areas spotless. The people are warm and courteous. It's also probably the most dog-friendly neighborhood in Southern California.

Little Italy residents come from a host of backgrounds and ethnicites, and we're proud of the history of our neighborhood, which is steeped in tales of the perseverance of Italian immigrants who built a thriving community from nothing. It's the perfect example of a strongly ethnic neighborhood that is inclusive rather than exclusive.

So the next time you find yourself in a great part of San Diego wondering what neighborhood you're in, consider the possibility that you could be in Little Italy. It might not be obvious at first, but once you consider the clean streets, friendly people, and thriving businesses that make this neighborhood great, it will be clear as day.

Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.