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Italian NYC

Italian NYC is one of the immigrant communities that helped define New York City. Italian food has become American food.

The big wave of Italian immigration to New York came between the 1850s and 1930s with a peak around 1900-1910.

Classical music, opera and Roman Catholicism are originally Italian. Columbus Day and the Columbus Day Parade are New York’s big Italian American celebrations.

Classical Music
Opera

Italian Festivals NYC

New York City’s biggest Italian festival is Columbus Day and the Columbus Day Parade. People love the Feast of San Gennaro in Downtown’s Little Italy. Roman Catholicism is originally Italian, so many faith days are originally Italian festivals too.

Italian New York City

Manhattan has Little Italys in Downtown and a remnant in East Harlem. Arthur Avenue in Belmont, The Bronx is a popular Italian market street.

Today Bensonhurst, Brooklyn is one of our biggest Little Italys. Staten Island also has a large Italian community. We are everywhere really.

Italian New Yorkers

Italian Culture

Classical music, opera and ballet have Italian origins. Italian fashion is popular. In the U.S. Italian culture has largely become U.S. American culture. Everybody eats pasta and pizza these days.

The Romans absorbed Greek culture from Greek communities in Southern Italy, and spread this culture around the Mediterranean. When Rome fell, the culture was preserved in Spain by Jewish poets working for Muslim sultans and Christian kings. The Italian Renaissance made Italian culture a pan-European culture. This culture took over the world during the Colonial Era.

The influence of Roman Catholicism is profound, even in traditions that we no longer see as religious. Christmas is just one example of an Italian tradition that has lost its religious meaning.

Italy

Little Italy NYC

New York City has many Little Italys. The most popular are the Little Italy neighborhood in Downtown, Manhattan, and Arthur Avenue in The Bronx.

Little Italy, New York City (Patrid Poendl/Dreamstime)
Little Italy, New York City (Patrid Poendl/Dreamstime)

Little Italy, Manhattan

  • Little Italy, Downtown
  • Italian East Harlem

Little Italy, The Bronx

  • Arthur Avenue
  • Morris Park

Little Italy, Brooklyn

  • Bensonhurst
  • Dyker Heights
  • Carroll Gardens
  • Italian Williamsburg

Little Italy, Queens

  • Ozone Park
  • Howard Beach
  • Middle Village

Little Italy, Staten Island

  • Rosebank
European Nyc

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