By Christopher Gomez | Little Italy News

The new heart of Little Italy is officially open—Piazza della Famiglia, located on West Date Street between India and Columbia streets. Developed by H. G. Fenton Company, the 10,000-square-foot European-style piazza is dedicated to the past, present and future families of San Diego’s cultural neighborhood.

Piazza della Famiglia will become the new town center for special events, Little Italy’s Mercato starting the first weekend in May, scheduled entertainment and more.

The Little Italy Association is delighted to welcome locals and visitors to check out the new beautiful community space. All can enjoy a cup of coffee at one of the table and chairs sets, have lunch around the large fountain or take a sunset stroll while enjoying views of the San Diego Bay in the piazza. Residents and tourists can also experience a variety of activations in the piazza every week like mid-day yoga, live music, knitting classes and more! For a weekly schedule of things happening in the piazza, visit bit.ly/2q5149V

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The Piazza della Famiglia will include 125 apartments and feature 16,000 square feet of retail stores and restaurants surrounding the piazza. The first few businesses to open in Piazza della Famiglia will be Frost Me Cafe and Bakery and the Little Italy Food Hall, which will feature six local food vendors, a mobile outdoor cooking area and a full bar. The mix of residential, retail and restaurant space will create a flourishing community staple in the thriving neighborhood. The community will be invited to the piazza’s official grand opening in mid-summer. More details on the grand opening are to come.

To stay connected with Little Italy, check out what’s going on in the neighborhood by following us on Instagram and Twitter: @LittleItalySD and Facebook: LittleItalySD. To learn more about the event, visit LittleItalySD.com.

—Christopher Gomez has been Little Italy’s district manager since 2000. Reach him at chris@littleitalysd.com.