Just about every American city has a Little Italy that can trace itself back to the turn of last century, and San Diego is no certainly no different. There's been a stable community of Italians in downtown since the 1920's, at one point numbering over 6,000 families. Because our policymakers are really smart they decided to destroy 35 percent of the neighborhood in the 1960's to make room for the 5 Highway, triggering a decline that lasted thirty solid years.
Starting in the 1990's, though, the neighborhood began bouncing back. Today's Little Italy - revolving around the business-lined India Street - is a combination of pizza joints, high-end restaurants, boutiques, antique shops, bars, and cafes.]]>