A bustling vibe dominates Little Italy compared to a few decades ago. (By Frank Sabatini Jr.)
History, Little Italy

Did You Know…

By Frank Sabatini Jr.

…that before Little Italy became one of San Diego’s most thriving, gentrified communities that it endured a seemingly hopeless decline after the construction of Interstate 5 bisected the neighborhood? Nearly 35 percent of the area was destroyed by the freeway upon its completion in 1960.

Adding to the slump was the gradual downturn of our city’s tuna industry, which had roots among the more than 6,000 immigrant families that occupied the neighborhood prior to the late 1950s. Many of those families included fishermen as well as shop owners and home winemakers.

The combined factors caused an exodus of residents and tourists alike. Past dwellers recall the streets becoming eerily quiet after the freeway project was completed, saying that many San Diegans stopped referring to the area as “Little Italy” anymore.

It wasn’t until the early 1990s that a coalition of property owners supported by city officials began to revitalize the neighborhood. They attracted new investors and housing developments. Cultural events were brought back into the fold along with cleanup programs and ad hoc committees that helped pave the way for additional stores and restaurants. 

Adding to the boom was San Diego’s eventual introduction of light rail trolley service, which features a County Center/Little Italy station along the system’s blue line. Today, Little Italy is a bustling, colorful neighborhood that appears immune to economic depression.