Little Italy Community

Little Italy is a community of 48 square blocks, spanning 206 acres perched above San Diego Harbor. Close to 10,000 people now live in this charismatic San Diego community.  A third of the property in the area is still owned by Italian-American families – many of whom have lived in “the neighborhood” for decades.  To this day, you can still hear the Sicilian dialect on Little Italy’s streets – at the bocce court, in a café, or during a lively card game of briscola.

In many ways, Little Italy San Diego resembles the small Italian villages that its founders once came from. Back in the day, fishermen here would share a part of their catch with the men who’d had a less successful haul. This spirit of neighborly kindness still defines Little Italy. It is a place where people greet one another by name. They worship together at their historic church built in 1925. They share coffee together. They argue together. They play bocce together.

While the neighborhood used to be almost exclusively Italian (mostly from Genoa, Sicily and Le Marche), Little Italy is now an eclectic mix of:

• a new wave of younger Italian immigrants
• retirees
• baby boomers
• young professionals
• families with young children
• 20-somethings

Little Italy hosts community activities year-round — for locals and tourists alike. Some events include:

• ArtWalk — a 2-day celebration of visual and performing arts
• The Mercato — the city’s largest weekly Farmer’s Market
• Gran Fondo – an Italian cycling race
• Italian Motor Car Show
• Taste of Little Italy
• Summer Italian Film Series
• Stick-Ball Tournament
• Trick or Treat in Little Italy
• The Columbus Day Festival (largest one this side of the Mississippi)
• Little Italy Tree Lighting & Christmas Village

Something is always happening in our little locale. Proudly rooted in its history, Little Italy is a model neighborhood for the 21^st century.