About Piazza Della Famiglia
Little Italy is a lively, family-friendly neighborhood that always has a bustling nightlife and the best place to start exploring the neighborhood is from the Piazza Della Famiglia, right in the heart of the hood.
Piazza Della Famiglia has as close to a town square vibe as you will get in San Diego and if you squint it almost feels like you are in a rustic Italian piazza. The piazza almost always has something going on, from pop-up performers to scheduled live music to art walks. Couples can sit and enjoy a drink and people watch. Kids can run around the square and play on the fountain or try to trick a mime into moving. Old people can play dominos with each other.
There is no outside alcohol allowed at the piazza, so we recommend you get drinks (and a gelato if needed) from Little Italy Food Hall and then grab one of the red tables in the square. Just enjoy the vibe of the local town square.
Great For
• Kids
• People watching
• Keeping it low key
• Tricking mimes
A Closer Look
The Little Italy Association is the development committee that is behind this neighborhood’s revitalization (though we realize the term revitalization is loaded). In the 90s, the Little Italy Association petitioned, successfully, to make Little Italy a Business Improvement District which means they could push for planned development of apartments, public spaces, shops, and restaurants. They are behind the creation of the piazza, in our view the crown jewel of their efforts.
Opinions vary about how business improvement districts affect cities. To some, these districts break up single family home neighborhoods in favor of apartment buildings and increased consumerism geared mostly toward folks not from the neighborhood itself. To others, these districts benefit local residents and businesses with more density, walkability, communal spaces, and support for local business.
To us, we can only hope that what happens within neighborhoods and the city itself benefits as many of the people living in it as possible. The Little Italy Association represent a group of local citizens and businesses that seem to care about this historic neighborhood and they have put a lot of effort into restoring it. We thank them for it. And if they make some money on the side, well, cosa farai?
