Cartel Little Italy

Great place to have a drink or two on the street bars. Atmosphere is happy and positive. International and friendly.

The most historically important site for my Culture Weekend to Italy Staycation: Little Italy. I couldn’t wait to hit this historical area, be inundated with Italian culture and transported to another place, but as I approached the area, I became distracted: that’s not Italian, that’s Chinese. Okay, so Little Italy is being invaded by Chinatown, but the area is still very Italian. There are Italian restaurants, shops and an Italian American Museum that I’d like to visit next time I tour the area.

As I approached Grand St, all I could remember was this excitement bubbling up inside of me, “we’re almost here“, I thought. Conversely, as I walked down Grant St, not even what seemed to be four buildings in, all I could remember was this disappointment burrowing inside of me, “we’re now in Chinatown“, I thought. I have nothing against Chinatown, but the sighting of a Chinese massage shop smack dab in the middle of Grand St. was an abrupt end to the vibe I was experiencing with the Italian storefronts. That’s okay, I’ll just grab a cannoli from Emma & Angie’s Cannoli Shack; that will ease my pain. And it did.