Little Italy | Image Source
I was walking through Little Italy towards Chinatown with my husband on Monday evening when we happened to come across an incredible festival squeezed in New York’s narrow streets.
Several blocks downtown were cut off from vehicular traffic by NYPD to box in a vivid spectacle of food tents and performances and carnival rides. I was curious of what was going on so as soon as I returned home, I googled “September 18 Holiday Italy” and to my surprise, nothing came up.
/
리틀 이태리를 거리가 야시장이 되어 젤라또, 카놀리, 소세지 등 각종 이탈리안 음식들을 팔고, 미니 카니발이 있는 매우 신나는 분위기였습니다. 저희가 먹은 훠궈집이 바로 이 오페라 공연 옆이였는데요, 음식점에 들어갔는데도 오페라가 들려오는... 이탈리안 생 Figaro 오페라를 들으며 진한 훠궈 국물과 만두를 먹는 신통 방통한 기분이였습니다.
Street Opera "Figaro"
The live opera stage was located right next to the Chinese hot pot place where we ate
It turns out, this week marks the Italian-American festival of San Gennaro in its 91st year. The whole ambition is to celebrate Italian culture in New York as it has flourished for over a century. Pizza, gelato, opera, and so much more linked to not only Italian culture but specifically culture created out of settling in the city.
/
집에 오는길에 구글에 “9/18, 리틀 이태리, 뉴욕, 페스티벌” 검색어 넣고 보니 San Gennaro 의 91년을 축하하는 축제라는 기사를 읽었습니다. 좀 더 정확히 말하지면 이탈리안- 아메리칸의 날. 미국에 이민온 한 세기의 세월동안 이탈리안 문화를 미국에 뿌리를 내린 이태리 재미동포들의 축제였습니다.
이민자로 미국에와 그들의 터전을 100년이 넘는 시간동안 지키고, 문화를 공유하는 작은 마을을 만든것이 재밌습니다. 그것도 차이나타운과 나란히... 맨하탄 한가운데 말이죠 ㅎㅎ
It was incredible to me how a population, no matter how large, was able to mobilize this scale of celebration and shut down several blocks of traffic. Last month I participated in the Summer Streets festival and was wowed by the coordination by the city government but for a group of city residents to do the equivalent was astounding.
/
집에 오는길에 젤라또를 먹으려고 했는데 맛난 것들은 다 팔려서 눈구경만 하고 왔습니다 ㅎㅎ
Thanks for reading & Stay tuned for the next story!
@Mintvilla, an ever-learning landscape architect