Little Italy Apartments & Rentals

These days, Little Italy apartment rentals are harder to find. That's because Little Italy could now more accurately be referred to as "Really Little Italy." The northern half of the neighborhood became Nolita in the 90s. Chinatown keeps encroaching from the southeast. Still, on Mulberry Street between Broome and Canal streets, and for a couple of blocks around, you can get a great calzone and remember how Manhattan used to be.

This old New York neighborhood retains a lot of its historic charm. Many Italian-Americans have decamped to Brooklyn and Queens, but enough remain. It's busy with Italian restaurants, specialty shops, and tourists. Sure it's crowded, but if you want something other than Starbucks, Little Italy certainly steps up. Its color and character both remain brilliant.

In the small handful of blocks that make up Little Italy, you'll find two-dozen Italian restaurants. Ferrara Bakery, established in 1892, dishes up authentic cannoli and makes a mean espresso. Of the other ethnic eateries around, some are grand and some just fair. An address here doesn't necessarily determine quality, so choose well. If what you want is a drink, you're probably best getting wine with dinner or walking to SoHo.

Local stores in Little Italy sell fresh mozzarella, pasta, and other Italian specialties. Di Palo Fine Foods sets a good example. For less culturally specific shopping, try Nolita to the north. There are some Asian markets nearby, and a couple of pharmacies in the neighborhood. For a bit of green space, walk east to Sara D. Roosevelt Park.

Most of the apartments in Little Italy are pre-war, walk-up tenements or industrial buildings turned residential. One-bedrooms rent for around $1,700 and two-bedrooms go for about $2,100. While some of your neighbors will be long-term Italian-American residents, more and more you'll find the Nolita crowd here, or even Koreans and others spilling over from Chinatown.

Many subway lines run within an easy walk of Little Italy. You can quickly catch any number of trains, such as the N, Q, the J, Z, or the 6 from Canal Street stations.

Little Italy is famous for the Feast of San Gennaro. This elder statesman of street fairs honors the patron saint of Naples. It lasts 11 days in September and draws millions. The Italian American Museum is fairly new, presenting exhibits on the nature of Italian-American life in New York City. The closest public library is down on East Broadway. There's a US Post Office in Chinatown. Manhattan Community Board No. 2 speaks for Little Italy.

Little Italy fits into the 10013 zip code.