Little Italy San Francisco

Little Italy San Francisco

Little Italy San Francisco

Originally, the city’s northeast shoreline extended only to what is today Taylor and Francisco streets. The area largely known today as North Beach was an actual beach, filled in with land fill around the late 19th century. Warehouses, fishing wharves, and docks were then built on the newly formed shoreline. Due to the proximity of the docks, the southern half of the neighborhood south of Broadway was home of the infamous Barbary Coast.[6]

Following its reconstruction after the 1906 earthquake, a large number of Italian immigrants created the Italian character of the neighborhood that still exists. Prominent Italian Americans that came from the neighborhood include baseball legend Joe DiMaggio who grew up in the neighborhood and briefly returned to live there with his wife Marilyn Monroe during the 1950s, as well as former San Francisco mayor and politician Joseph Alioto plus others from the prominent Alioto family.

During the 1950s, many of the neighborhood’s cafes and bars became the home and epicenter of the Beat Generation and gave rise to the San Francisco Renaissance. The term “beatnik” originated from the scene here and was coined in a derogatory fashion by famed San Francisco Chronicle columnist Herb Caen. Many of that generation’s most famous writers and personalities such as Jack KerouacAllen GinsbergGregory CorsoNeal Cassady lived in the neighborhood. Another poet from this generation, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, founded the City Lights Bookstore that still exists today on the corner of Broadway and Columbus as an official historic landmark and serves as one of the main focal points of this generation.

During the 1960s a notable night spot was The Committee, an improvisational theatre group founded by alumni of The Second City in Chicago. The Committee opened April 10, 1963 at 622 Broadway in a 300-seat cabaret theater.

1973
2012

The Broadway area also created innovations for the strip club industry. The Condor Club, on the corner of Columbus and Broadway, was opened in 1964 as America’s first topless bar, which it is again today. The Lusty Lady was the first striptease club to be structured as a worker cooperative, which meant that it was managed by the dancers who worked at that peep-show establishment. Broadway strip clubs owe their legacy to the Barbary Coast, which was located just one block south on Pacific Street during the late 19th-century.[citation needed]

In the 1970s and 1980s Broadway was the location of many live music clubs, like the Stone, and a punk rock club called the Mabuhay Gardens.[citation needed]

Since the 1980s, and much like Manhattan’s Little Italy, due to a decrease in emigration from Italy and gentrification, the neighborhood has seen its native Italian American population rapidly shrink, while neighboring Chinatown has been rapidly expanding north into the neighborhood south of Broadway and along Stockton Street causing a major demographic shift to a mix of mostly Chinese and young professional population, although some, albeit very few, Italian Americans remain.[citation needed]

Paul Kantner was living in North Beach in an apartment unit above Al’s Attire at the corner of Grant Avenue and Vallejo Street at the time of his death, and was often a patron of nearby Caffe Trieste.[7]

North Beach was home to the first lesbian bar in San Francisco, Mona’s 440 Club. Mona Sargeant and her husband Jimmie opened Mona’s in 1936 in a North Beach basement as a small underground bar celebrating the end of Prohibition. Once Mona’s gained enough popularity between the gay community and tourists, the club moved to a much larger location at 440 Broadway Street. The club remained Mona’s 440 until the mid 1950s.

Wikipedia

Little Italy in New York goes back to the late 1800’s .  Rather than go into a all that history here, I will give you some links to articles and some books on the subject, written by people who write better than I.  Also, there are some great Youtube videos that you can watch.

San Francisco’s Italians – SFGenealogy

Where to Find Italy In America – Italy Magazine

Italian Americans in California – Berkley

Some great videos of Little Italy in San Francisco

1970's

Molinari's

North Beach

Gino and Carlo

Things to do

Roots and Reflections – Buon Natale

In this conversation, the hosts and guests share their unique Christmas traditions from their respective cultures, focusing on the differences and similarities between Italian, English, and American customs. They discuss the significance of food, particularly the Italian-American tradition of the ‘seven fishes,’ and reminisce about their childhood memories of Christmas celebrations, including midnight mass and family gatherings. The conversation also touches on the impact of cultural identity and language on their holiday experiences. In this

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Rediscovering Italian Roots: Montescaglioso Basilicata

Join us on a heartfelt exploration as George Gingerelli takes us on his remarkable journey of rediscovering his Italian heritage. Picture the scene: George and his sister, motivated by family lore and childhood stories, find themselves piecing together a family puzzle that spans continents and generations. Their emotional voyage led them back to Montescaglioso, Italy, where a century of lost connections was rekindled with newfound relatives. George’s narrative is not just about genealogy; it’s about

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Researching Avellino The Valleriano Brothers’ Heritage Quest

Uncover the remarkable journey of Italian heritage with brothers Michael and Chip Valleriano, who embarked on a quest to trace their family’s roots back to their great-grandfather’s migration from Italy to the United States. Their passion for genealogy shines through as they share insights from interviews with elder relatives, revealing the stories behind Ellis Island and how their family settled in Cleveland. You’ll learn about Chip’s dedication to preserving family stories and the significance of

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Redeem Your Roots

How To Redeem Your Roots

In this engaging conversation, Bob Sorrentino and Dawn Matera-Corsi delve into the significance of heritage and family roots, particularly focusing on Italian culture. Dawn shares her family’s journey from Ischia to America and discusses her book, ‘Redeem Your Roots,’ which outlines seven keys to connecting with one’s heritage. The discussion emphasizes the importance of family stories, traditions, and the role of food and language in maintaining cultural connections. They also share humorous anecdotes about culinary

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St Nicholas

Buon Onomastico – St. Nicola

My Photos from St’ Nick’s Bari 9/23 IMG_0887 IMG_0885 IMG_0888 IMG_0889 IMG_0890 IMG_0891 IMG_0892 IMG_0893 IMG_0894 I will always remember the feast day of St. Nicola because my grandmother would always send a card to my dad on Dec. 6. It was also the start of the Christmas season for us as we would always get a little something from St. Nick.   Click Photo to Purchase Direct Or buy on Amazon Join Italian Roots

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Antenati

Antenati and Italian Genealogy Research Tips

Discover the transformative journey of Bill Sallurday as he uncovers his Italian roots, tracing his family lineage back to the picturesque village of San Cipriano Picentino. With a passion for genealogy, Bill’s relentless research has revealed his family’s true surname, Sabato, and connected over 8,000 individuals through a comprehensive genealogical database. His dedication not only reconnected him with his heritage but also earned him honorary citizenship from the village, highlighting the profound impact of his

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