Gateway - A Neighborhood in Transition

 Italian American neighborhoods or areas with a noticeable presence of Italian Americans in New York City, New Jersey, and Philadelphia.

Italians are the largest ethnicity in my home state, New Jersey and one of the largest in the NYC metro area, as well as Philadelphia.

 I felt Italians were the best culture in the world. That’s why I did this blog.

Migration pattern 

When many of the first Italian immigrants arrived in New York City, they settled in Little Italy and the Lower East Side. They also settled in East Harlem. They ended up moving to the Bronx, with many of them living in the Belmont area, and in Brooklyn. In fact many of the Italians who used to live in Manhattan’s Little Italy later moved to Bensonhurst,  But they Brooklyn.

The Italian community has dispersed beyond Manhattan and even New York City. Most Brooklyn Italians would migrate to Staten Island however some migrated to New Jersey and Long Island.

In fact, some Italian immigrants from New York City moved to Newark.

They all dispersed for a more suburban setting.

For example, many Manhattan Italians would move to Brooklyn for a more suburban setting. And many Brooklyn Italians moved to Staten Island for a more suburban setting.

Philadelphia (South Philadelphia) and Boston = other entry points

Entry points has the most authentic population of ethnics, whatever the ethnicity and you could see this in the stores, restaurants, and bakeries when you go to the “old neighborhood” or where the immigrants initially settled.

When the ethnic groups move away to the suburbs it becomes more “watered down”, it becomes  more American.

Why did I do this blog?

I have Asperger’s/ Repetitive thoughts.

Love for city planning.

They have such well kept neighborhoods.

They take pride in what they do and in their communities.

Their pride is probably reflected in why they take better care of their neighborhoods than others.

I admire them for their well kept neighborhoods.

In Packer Park and Gerard Estates, where its 70% and 60% Italian respectively I don’t see litter or graffiti, it’s very rare. Italian Americans take care of their neighborhoods. Unlike unfortunately in my own ethnicity neighborhoods Puerto Rican neighborhoods like Kensington and Fairhill, where it’s not so well kept and you can see graffiti. Not

Welfare avoidance. Even in the 70s when there was a lot of unemployment in Newark, many Italians did not take welfare or were on any other federal assistance programs out of pride.

Many I feel are more disciplined, as well, too. Could it be bc of two parent homes? But that also takes discipline, too.

I feel their women know how to love.

They have strong family commitments. Italian women are strong, sassy, 

Italians have very low divorce rates.

Plus, their culture and people had all these innovations including food, music  (opera and the piano from the Italians),.  Calculators, newspapers, the radio, the piano, and the eyeglasses were all invented  by the Italians, too. They also helped create opera.

The Roman alphabet is universal, now.

Italy has  also produced many saints like Saint Padre Pio Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Anthony of Padua, and Saint Frances Cabrini, the first American saint.

Many popes have been Italian, too

Christopher Columbus and Amerigo Vespuscci were Italians who rediscovered the Americas for the Europeans. 

Italians are enterprising in every country, where ever they go to.

Subway, the restaurant, was created by an Italian American when he was 17 years old.

Although I don’t agree with his fiscal policies, Steve Lonegan started his own custom home building company when he was blind.

Rudy Giuliani helped make New York a great place to live.

and political pundits say being mayor of New York City  is one of the hardest political jobs in this country 

In Newark, they invenred the Newark Italian style hot dog. 

In Philly, they invented the Philly cheesesteak.

In Trenton, they invented the Trenton tomato pies. (they’re really good at DeLorenzos/)

In Chicago, they created the deep dish pizza.

They have contributed so much to society more than many other ethnic groups and many are capable and they are a a hardworking group.

They are a strong people and have a strong work ethic.

They are a strong people, they are hardworking and one of the most socioeconomically successful ethnic groups in the country today.

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Which before they weren’t- many came poor and as late as 1990, NY Italians had a 20 percent dropout rate, not much lower than that of African Americans which at the time was 24%. Many also stayed in the working class for a real long time.

They were not a “model minority” throughout much of the 20th century.

But now they are among the economically prosperous groups in this country. In NJ, their median income is above even the Dutch and English, white groups who have been here longer than them.

This gives us hope people who are looked down upon in society can achieve great things.

I don’t identify as an Italian but I love your culture. ( unless you count the 4 percent of Northern Italian in my DNA.)

Little Italy. Manhattan

Manhattan’s Little Italy feels like you’re in Europe.

Today, Manhattan's Little Italy is mostly centered on Mulberry Street, from Canal to Broome Streets. 

But it was much larger when the Italians first settled. Little Italy stretched from Lafayette Street to the west and Bowery to the East, and from Houston Street to the north and Canal Street to the South.

Lombardi’s Pizza!- the first pizzeria in the United States, according to the Pizza Hall of Fame.

As touristy as it is, at least Little Italy in Manhattan feels like you’re in Europe. So I wouldn’t exactly call it a “waste of time” or push it off as just another “tourist trap.”

The Church of the Most Precious Blood-  113 Baxter Street

La Mela Ristorante- 167 Mulberry Street

Bread as appetizers butter in packets

La Mela-   where the waiters speak French, Italian, English and Spanish

I told them thank you in Italian (grazie) and be said “buen provecho” bc I’m Spanish.

There were warm waiters 

In fact there were French tourists, one of the Italian waiters spoke to them in Italian. There were two Mexican waiters, too.

La Mela in Manhattan’s Little Italy  food tasted better than the Bronx, but it was more expensive. The raviolis I’ve had are the ones you’ll remember having (you’ll remember the taste in your mouth after you eat here) 

La Bella Ferrara- 108 Mulberry Street

This is a nice Italian bakery where you could listen to “In a Dream (Freestyle Mix)”by Rockell.

Pistachio cannolis! Delicious!

Da Nico’s ristorante- 164 Mulberry Street

This is a good restaurant. A really long time ago (2011), I tried their pasta dish. $20, which I felt was inexpensive for what I was getting in NYC.

Di Palo’s- 200 Grand Street

This is a god Italian corner store where you could find imported cheeses and meats. I tried their Swiss cheese and it was really good.

Piemonte Ravioli- 190 Grand Street

Although I’ve never bought anything from here. I went inside, and it looked cool.

Vincent’s.

Lombardi’s- 32 Spring Street 

The first pizzeria in the United States.

I ran into a nice British lady and she ordered the pepperoni pizza. A pizza like this costs about 31 dollars.  She felt it was ok but her husband really loved it. 

I guess this is the type of place that gets mixed reviews. 

I, myself, ordered the ravioli. Not bad for 20 dollars.

The Feast of San Gennaro, which draws millions each  year.  This feast is still important for many Italian Americans in the tri state area.

Write about the cheese store? 

Manhattans little Italy once a slum.

Was it really a slum?

Was it really as dangerous?

Overcrowded and the mafia was there.

Disease and crime.

Stickball.

It was cramped.

They moved to Brooklyn and Queens.

Was it really a no go zone? 

Before one hundred or one hundred twenty years ago,  this was probably a place where many native Americans wouldn’t venture to, now it’s tourist district. 

Alleva Dairy now closed, moved to Lyndhurst.

East Harlem/ Italian Harlem 

Although there are few Italians left in East Harlem, there are still some vestiges of Italian culture left there including Rao’s Ristorante (a place you have to be on a waitlist in order to get in), Patsy’s pizzeria and Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

Belmont - The Bronx

When you’re in a neighborhood with restaurants that have names like Emilia’s, Enzo’s, and Mario’s, you know you’re in an authentic Italian neighborhood.

Arthur Avenur, Bronx’s “Little Italy”

An “oasis” in the Bronx.

A taste of Europe/Italy in the Bronx. 

Arthur Avenue in Belmont is known as the "truest LIttle Italy" in New York.  It is more authentic than the one on Mulberry Street in Manhattan.  If Belmont sounds familiar to you, it is because the this old Italian neighborhood has been featured in the 1993 hit movie " A Bronx Tale." Today only about 6% of the residents that live here are Italian, (it is now a majority Latino neighborhood.)  Many Italians have moved out to other parts of the city and other parts of the Tri State area.  However, Italian delis, bakeries, butcher shops, and restaurants remain There is even an Italian food market called the Arthur Avenue Retail Market. 

Bread with oil as an appetizer. It was simple yet delicious.

Their lasagna with the graded cheese. Awesome and affordable for only about $20z

Their cannoli was great too, even though it’s not a bakery, their cannolis were better than the ones I’ve had in most Italian bakeries I’ve been to.

Tino's delicatessen.

You know you’re in an Italian deli when a customer asks the owner “Come stai?” and he replies “Bene, bene!”

At Tino’s Delicatessen, you could try the Godmother sandwich for eleven dollars.  It comes with

I liked it because you could really taste the olive oil!

I like Italian sandwiches because they taste healthier many times than other sandwiches.

Italian imports. Canned tomatoes, pasta, olive oil, artichoke, Pellegrinos (both the soda and water), 

They also sold gelato.

The owners are Italian and come from

Salerno. But the store does bring many other including Italian Americans, millennials, Latinos (most of the neighborhood is Latino), even tourists from France.

Full Moon Pizzeria

Casa della Mozzarella

Ahh! You could see the fresh prosciutto (which was imported from Italy) and the their homemade mozarella at Casa Della Mozzarella.

De Lilo Bakery

Baba

Baba

Babas and Santa rosas 

x

Bakery cannolis Italian lemon cookies!

Arthur Avenue Retail Market

Vincent’s meat market 

Authentic- Rabbit meat 

Addeo just bread 

Mario's

 I tried their pollo Francese with lemon butter sauce. It was delicious! It cost $24.75. It felt a bit like Italian “soul food”, like walking into Sylvia’s in Harlem.

When I was in this Neopalitan restaurant, I didn’t feel like I was in the Bronx, much. Instead, I felt like I was in the suburbs and I guess it’s fitting in a way, since most Italians in the tri state area moved from their urban enclaves to the suburbs. So I guess it is not surprising that a popular restaurant in the Bronx would feel like you’re in the suburbs, at least from the outside.

Not all the workers are Italian in these Italian establishments anymore (some are Albanian, others are Mexican, some are Dominican too.)

French tourists eating at the Italian deli 

Italian imports 

2 Mexican restaurants 

Bensonhurst in Brooklyn is one of the most well known Italian enclaves in New York City. It is a working class/ blue collar Italian American neighborhood. Even though Bensonhurst has seen recent waves of Chinese, Russians, and other immigrants, Bensonhurst still retains an Italian presence. Here you will find Italian bakeries, churches, social clubs, restaurants, salumerias (pork stores), and coffee shops.

18th Avenue is the main commercial street.

Even though 18th Avenue looked kinda gritty, the houses were still well kept. 

Italians have remained here for three or more generations. So it truly is a great Italian American neighborhood.

Typical pastries you’d get at Villabate Alba bakery in Bensonhurst.

Bari Pork Store in the middle.

I bought a “squishy” hamburger.

St. Dominic’s Catholic Church.

18th Avenue, near Bensonhurst Auto Sound.

Frank and Sal’s salumeria- 8008 18th Avenue

Sorrento coffee shop 

The Feast of Santa Rosalia

 

The song Sarina Paris “Look at us” playing outside of Sas Italian Records store.

Sarina Paris comes from a working class Italian background.

Queens

Howard Beach, Queens.

Suburban. Single family houses 

Astoria

Home to the best prosciutto I ever tried imported from Italy in the Tri- State area (this is the third place in this area where I’ve tried imported prosciutto from Italy and it did not disappoint).

Delicious prosciutto!

Staten Island

Belli Baci bakery!

Alessi and Sons 

Prosciutto, imported from Italy.

Their iced coffee is so delicious!

The owner was so sweet. I told him I came all the way from Jersey to visit his store and he gave me some Italian candy like this for free! They tasted so good.

I saw this at the Staten Island Mall.

A sign to put up for your Italian grandfather, in Italian.

New Jersey

Ferraro Foods in Piscataway, NJ

Newark by far had the largest population of Italians in New Jersey, in fact, it once had the fifth largest Italian population in the country, so we’ll start here.

St. Lucy's Church 

I found an America Oggi newspaper in St. Lucy's Church lol. 

Typical architecture in the Seventh Avenue area (how it looks like today).

Giordano’s, the place where Frank Sinatra used to get his bread from no matter where he was in the world, is in this area. I believe the former location of this bakery was 33 Seventh Avenue.

St Gerard's Festival.

A lobster tail I bought at the feast.

The Museum of the Old First Ward.  In the heart of Newark's old 'Little Italy" is the museum of the old first ward , which contains photos of how Newark's North Ward looked like when it was predominately Italian.

In the 1940's and 50's, Newark's North Ward was a slum where people were stuck in and if they had the option , they would move out, but they were stuck, like with other races in Newark.  But many worked hard and wanted to do better.

Italian mothers of yesterday cooking meals 

I imagine back then, Newark's Italians were poor but they had a strong sense of community and good food!

Italian mothers of today cooking meals 

Mother and son wokring together in a recent St. Gerard's' Feast. 

St. Francis Xavier Church with a statue of Christopher Columbus in the middle and the American, as well as the Italian, flags.

Luigi’s is probably the best Italian restaurant since it’s so good and not so expensive.

Birardi Imports 

Espresso! Yum!

 

West Orange 

Jimmy Buff’s

Nutley

Lyndhurst

Lyndhurst Pastry Shop - a really good Italian bakery.

Elizabeth

One of the few pizzas I’ve eaten where it still tastes good a day after you leave it in the cold.

In fact, it didn’t even feel cold when I ate it. Still warm.

The tried the lasagna at Torna A Sorrento Restaurant in Elizabeth, NJ.

Paterson, NJ

Caffe Italia, once was on 21st Avenue. I think they moved.  I used to see old Italian men hang around here, some even speaking Italian. 

Patsy's Tavern - some of the best pizza you'll have in Northern New Jersey. Brick oven pizza.

I rate Patsys, DeLorenzos, and Sciortinos as the best pizza in New Jersey.

Woodland Park- A & S Pork Store

Corrados - Wayne

Corrados is an Italian American supermarket 

Corrado’s in Clifton 

Corrados in Clifton not only offers Italian products like cheeses, desserts, and other products (they even have an Italian American bakery inside) but also products from all over the world to cater to the diverse population in the area.

Perth Amboy Nj 

Sciortino's 

Cranford, NJ - NJ’s “wealth belt” A century ago, when Italians were not welcome in many places outside of their ethnic enclaves like in Newark, Paterson, or Trenton.

Now Italians have achieved the dream of being absorbed and assimilated into American culture. So much so they are accepted everywhere they go including wealthy suburbs that didn’t want them around about a century ago.

I took a picture of Perottti Meats in Cranford. This Italian meat specialty store now stands apologetically in the middle of New Jersey’s “wealth belt.”

Manapalan, NJ

The Jersey Shore

Trenton, NJ

Chambersburg

Trenton pork rolls? is that Italian?

DeLorenzo's Tomato Pies. 

Hammonton

This municipality has the highest concentration of Italians in the state. I believe many of the Italian imiggrants, upon coming here worked in the farms and vineyards here. Today many Italians live here.

Philadelphia 

Famous people like Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr, Joe Biden, Theodore Roosevelt, Adam Sandler, Taylor Swift have all eaten here.

First pitcture? First Italain establishement in South Philly to demonstrate. 

Black Lobster Ravioli. The most delicious dish I had in South Philly. 

I feel the Italian feast in Manhattans Little Italy is less trashy than the one in Brooklyn which is much less trashy than the one in Newark, New Jersey lol.