Introducing Nolita

The Mafioso New York depicted in Mario Puzo’s novels and Francis Ford Coppola’s films now only exists in books and celluloid - but lately, the neighborhood North of Little Italy has seen a refreshing Italian-American revival.

For a while, it seemed that the only mark left of that old New York on this traditionally Italian neighborhood was the annual Feast of San Gennaro, which still fills Mulberry Street with food stalls hawking zeppole and sausages every September.

The rest of the year, Nolita is firmly controlled by New York’s fashionable set. While some elderly Italian-Americans held out in the neighborhood, it is today largely colonized by a young and affluent crowd, living fabulously in luxurious flats such as those housed in the magnificent Edwardian Baroque building that once held the Old Police Headquarters.

Storefronts hold all manner of chic clothing, from designer to vintage, and even St Patrick’s Old Cathedral is surrounded by indie stalls selling unique jewelry and accessories on the weekends. All week, the young and well-dressed fill the streets, waiting to get into a tiny French patisserie, a crowded Cuban diner, a popular French-Moroccan restaurant, an avant-garde art gallery, or any number of bars and underground clubs.

But hardly ever were they drawn to the neighborhood for Italian fare until the recent successes of a pair of young Italian-Americans who put their culture and cuisine back on the map. Through their small empire of restaurants, they have enchanted New Yorkers with elegant tasting menus and hearty Sunday dinner spreads recalling Nonna’s cooking. Look out fashionable kids, there are some new bosses in town.