little italy ,

Once known for its large population of Italians, the lower Manhattan neighborhood changed as Italian Americans left the expensive Manhattan borough for other neighborhoods in The Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island. The neighborhood called as Little Italy shrank and today, the section of Mulberry Street between Broome and Canal Streets, is the area that's still popular with tourists, and remains distinctly recognizable as Little Italy. ake a walk and smell the fresh baked bread, garlic and sauces where cafes, restaurants and bakeries line the street. Enjoy a glass of wine at a sidewalk cafe, or taste a salamis hanging from store window. For a real taste of Italian-American history stop in at Lombardi's, established as the first pizzeria in America in 1905 or hit Casa Bella where pasta and baking are all done in house, and serves reasonably priced pre-fixed dinners for large parties. The narrow, cobblestone streets beneath the fire escapes of turn-of-the-last-century tenements give you that old world feel no matter what you eat and it's fun to be amidst the sights, sounds and smells of Italian culture. The northern reaches of Little Italy, near Houston Street have been transformed into a fashion boutique-y neighborhood known as Nolita (an abbreviation for North of Little Italy) where shopping can be a whole lot of fun as well.