Perhaps one of the best things about living in a downtown San Diego neighborhood—aside from the great environment and atmosphere—is the unique, thriving scenery that you wouldn’t be able to get anywhere else in the United States.
Downtown San Diego County is the perfect place to live in because of the one thing waiting for you outside your door: opportunity. Here you can enjoy a chance for gainful employment, for better living conditions, while experiencing how great it is living right around the corner from the USA’s largest Little Italy.
Little Italy is a great place to be, especially around the holidays. If you’re new to the area, here are the best things about Little Italy during the holiday season.
Wednesday is Market Day
For December, Little Italy has a Holiday Market that opens every Wednesday. Local shops that sell fresh produce, artisan food, and handmade gifts by local crafters can be found here. In addition, you can shop and try out some of the sample food that the different vendors have.
The Wednesday Holiday Market is open from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, except for December 30th.
Christmas Tree Lighting
Little Italy holds its annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony to kick off the holiday season every year. This ceremony, led by the Little Italy Association, is held at the center of the Piazza Della Famiglia and is around 45 minutes long.
This is a great way to spend time with your family and loved ones and enjoy a once-a-year event in Little Italy.
Take a picture with the AURORA
You can take a picture with another Christmas tree at the Piazza Basilone. Designer Joshua Hubert created this tree is a permanent 30-feet tall structure with 25 feet of custom lighting and is named AURORA: The Northern Lights of Downtown.
The AURORA displays over 1,000 LED lights, a must-see sight at Little Italy.
Check out the different museums
If you’re not up for a holiday-themed day, you can always visit the Fire Fighters’ Museum that is filled with over 100 years of memorabilia from the rich fire fighting history of San Diego.
An interesting fact about the Fire Fighters’ Museum is that it used to be San Diego’s Station 6 firehouse. The first La Jolla engine can also be found in this museum, together with a lot of other amazing artifacts.
The Maritime Museum also houses a vast collection of vessels and is recognized as the most extensive collection of maritime memorabilia in the world.
Enjoy a view of The Bay
Your downtown San Diego experience will not be complete without enjoying a view of the San Francisco Bay, especially at night where the night lights reflect on the Bay’s waters. Little Italy is located just along the Bay’s borders, so you can have a great view of the water while taking a stroll along with Little Italy.
Little Italy offers a lot of activities the whole year-round. Special events are held every season, but the Wednesday Market goes year-round, and the products being sold would vary depending on the season. It would be great to live in an environment such as downtown San Diego and live near Little Italy.