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Italian History In Boston

The famous North End is the oldest neighborhood in the area. It’s no surprise then to learn that this neighborhood is rich in colorful history. This was a place of new beginnings, starting with the American Revolution and continuing with the arrival of immigrants hoping to make a fresh start. That history is still evident to this day in the preservation of old world Italian Culture.
Italians first arrived in Boston’s North End in the 1860s. They settled in the three block area of Fulton Street and only measured in the hundreds at the time. Many other immigrant populations comprised the North End neighborhood including Irish, Jewish and Portuguese. More Italians came as the Irish began to leave the neighborhood and by 1890 the neighborhood was predominantly Italian with barely 5,000 Irish residents. By 1930, the North End was almost 100% Italian.

Seeking a new start in American was not always smooth sailing. Italian immigrants endured prejudice from Bostonians and most were unskilled laborers living in poor conditions. The old mansions of the North End had been replaced with tenement housing as more immigrants moved in.
The Italians came from all over Italy starting with the Genovese, Sicilians, Milanese and Neopolitan populations. Each group settled into their own area of this one square mile waterfront neighborhood and brought with them unique traditions, food, music, language and customs.

Those customs are still evident today in the Italian feel of the neighborhood. Italian Americans still make up 41% of the population in the North End. Here you will find over 100 Italian restaurants, all bringing their own unique flavor from their region of Italy to this historic neighborhood in Boston. In fact, you will find more Italian restaurants in the North End than any other neighborhood in the country. Italian Cafes, coffee shops, bakeries and gourmet grocers offering unique, imported Italian products that add to the flavor of the neighborhood.

Come experience the Italian flare of the North End on our North End Little Italy Food Tour where you will take a step back in time and immerse yourself in the local Italian culture while visiting Italian restaurants, bakeries, coffee shops and grocers.