 The sloping landscape at the northern
shore of San Diego Bay was once home to a thriving tuna
fishing industry and the Italian-Americans who derived
their livelihood from it. As the tuna industry declined
and a significant portion of the neighborhood was
disrupted by the construction of Interstate 5,
Little Italy
suffered decades of depreciation. When local business
owners and residents teamed up with the Centre City
Development Corporation in the early 1990s, things
started looking up. They envisioned revitalization of
the commercial district and preservation of the small
scale and cultural dynamic of the community.
Little Italy
today represents some of the finest of San Diego living:
bay views, fine food, art and cultural festivities, and
affordable residences. Its lovely vistas now offer an
urban neighborhood with single-family homes,
condominiums and apartments. A recently revitalized
India Street is alive with restaurants, small cafes,
galleries and specialty shops.
 Our Lady of the Rosary Church
,
Monarch School
and
Washington Elementary School
remain important institutions of the area.
Amici Park
serves both as a playground for the school and a park,
including a bocce ball court, for the community. There
is the
Firehouse Museum
(located on Columbia St). Little Italy hosts over
half-a-dozen annual festivals in celebration of
holidays, music and art, including Festa, "Chalk La
Strada," a Bocce Ball Tournament, ArtWalk, a jazz
festival and Cinco de Mayo, St. Patrick's Day, and
Easter celebrations. The
Little Italy Association
(LIA)
brings the story of Little Italy to its visitors through
public art displays.
The
Little Italy Residents
Association (LIRA) is dedicated to helping residents
of the downtown San Diego neighborhood of Little Italy.
With many new families relocating to downtown, we offer
the opportunity through our organization for residents
to get involved with local events, give input on new
civic projects, and best of all, to meet their
neighbors.
Little Italy in San
Diego is a designated "Preserve
America Community"
More on
Little Italy.
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