San Diego Neighborhoods
Little Italy
The Neighborhood of Little Italy
Little Italy is an exciting and historic neighborhood of San Diego. While it’s technically located in downtown San Diego, it feels like a world away from the standard city-like hustle and bustle of the Gaslamp district of downtown SD.
Little Italy gets its name from its historic beginnings; it was once home to San Diego’s previously prosperous fishing industry and the multi-generational Italian families who were expert fishers. While the neighborhood may not be a hub for tuna fishing anymore, it still holds on to its italian roots. And one of those important roots is authentic Italian cuisine- Mangia mangia!!
All of Little Italy is brimming with incredibly delicious restaurants, beautifully crafted bars, locally famous craft breweries and an awesome farmers market. Plus cafes, art galleries, boutique hotels and views of the harbor and so much more for locals to do! Are you convinced yet to check out Little Italy?
What to know about
Little Italy, San Diego
This neighborhood has become THE place for fresh food eateries and for casual happy hours (that can quickly turn into all nighters with no shortage of craft cocktails or brews to try). There are quite a few sought after chefs in the area, whose restaurants not only line the infamous India street in Little Italy, but also throughout the entire neighborhood!
Be sure to check out the Saturday weekly farmers market in Little Italy. It’s held right in the center of the neighborhood, on the cross road of India Street, Date Street. It’s a great place (and opportunity!) to not only pick up fresh produce, and taste test exciting new flavors, but to meet and be exposed to locally owned San Diego businesses and fun new trends! Parking can be a bit sparse on Saturday mornings so either plan to walk, pay for parking or take the trolley here for the farmers market.
On the note about parking in Little Italy, while it can feel like a pain sometimes to find parking here, if you do have to park far away, that’s okay! Because Little Italy is a very walkable neighborhood and is quite safe.
The demographic in this part of San Diego is typically younger; think millennials and Gen X, but no matter your age, if you purchase a condominium in Little Italy you will make a great return on your investment in just a few years.
Restaurants & Bars in Little Italy
Top Restaurants in Little Italy
- Cafe Gratitude
- Kettner Exchange
- Nolita Hall
- Farmers Table
- Born & Raised
- Little Italy Food Market Hall
- Queenstown Public House
- Ironside Fish & Oyster
Little Italy Livability
Area Vibe score of 68 according to AreaVibes.com
Little Italy Schools
The Little Italy school system is a apart of the San Diego Unified School District. There are only Pre-K & elementary schools located directly in Little Italy.
Elementary Schools
Middile Schools
High Schools
Things to do in Little Italy
Enjoy Amici Park & the Little Italy Food Hall
Visit the farmers market
Walk down to the Waterfront park for harbor views
Enjoy a glass of vino at Pali Wine Co.
Little Italy Real Estate
Like most places in San Diego, real estate in Little Italy can be quite pricey. Many of the homes here are condominiums and apartments, and the crowd of residents tends to lean towards young professionals.
The chart below shows the average housing price over the last 5 years, from Redfin.com
Redfin.com rates Mission Beach an 80 out of 100 and Very Competitive for home purchasing. Most homes will get multiple offers, many with waived contingencies. As of August 2021, many homes (typically condos) in Little Italy are selling for over $670k and homes will go pending within 11 days of listing.
The numbers
Think you want to call Little Italy Beach home? Here’s some more information to help you get to know this San Diego neighborhood:
- Walkability – 98
- Fire Risk – 0
- Things to do – 89
Residents
School
Median Income
Avg Age
Where to stay in Little Italy:
Information on Little Italy
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Information on this website should not be construed as legal advice as we waive all legal liability from readers' reliance of any information provided. Readers must consult their own realtor or attorney about their own real estate issues.