Little Italy

Location: Downtown Manhattan. Little Italy is an ever-shrinking neighborhood currently flanked by Lafayette street to the west, the Bowery to the east, Kenmare street to the north and Canal street to the south. (Although even this conservative definition is optimistic - one only needs to venture one block east of Mulberry to immerse onself in the lively atmosphere of... Chinatown).

The area north of Kenmare (and all the way up to Bleecker) used to belong to Little Italy as well, but in recent decades the character of that part of the neighborhood changed so significantly that it is now considered a separate area, named NoLiTa (which stands for NOrth of LIttle ITaly).

Character: Little Italy flourished in the first half of the 20th century as an ethnic enclave, but was in decline by the mid-1970s, when local residents joined forces to create the Little Italy Restauration Association (LIRA). This organization was instrumental in making urban planning changes, most importantly declaring a section of Mulberry Street a pedastrian-only zone.

Demographics: Around 10,000 people live in Little Italy, although, it should be noted, the neighborhood is simply overrun by tourists.