The heart of Little Italy is Mulberry Street. Some of the landmarks in Little Italy include Old St. Patrick's Church and the Police Building. It's a popular neighborhood, filled with Old World atmosphere and many excellent eateries, among them Umberto's Clam House, Da Nico, Casa Bella, and Original Vincent's. Mid-September is a great time to visit for the most exciting annual event in the neighborhood, the ten-day Feast of San Gennaro. During this celebration, Mulberry Street is renamed Via San Gennaro and the shrines and relics of this saint are paraded through the streets - don't be surprised to see the faithful pin dollar bills to the saint as he passes by - and the tantalizing smell of fried pastry and sausages fills the air. The crowds enjoy Italian foods of all types, rides, games, entertainment, and audience-participation singing and dancing.

Apart from being a neighborhood where it's always possible to stumble upon a delicious meal at a sidewalk café, Little Italy is also a vibrant district filled with an old-world atmosphere and sporadic bursts of street life. Little Italy is at its very best in mid-September when the Feast of San Gennaro comes to town. During this celebration, the shrines and relics of this saint are paraded through the streets. Italians started emigrating here as early as the 1800s. Today, fewer than 5,000 Italian-Americans remain. As a result, Little Italy gradually shrank and portions were absorbed by Chinatown. Today, the section of Mulberry St. between Broome and Canal, lined with Italian restaurants popular with tourists, keeps the Little Italy tradition alive. With more than 50 restaurants, there are far too many to credit just one with serving up the best Italian dishes.