北滩靠近旧金山东北部的唐人街，靠近电报山、金融区和俄罗斯山，曾经是美国最重要的意大利移民社区之一的所在地。
虽然今天那里实际上已经没有海滩了，但这个街区仍然被称为北滩，因为在19世纪被填埋之前，那里实际上有一个海滩。尽管这样，这个名字还是得以保留下来。
Today, North Beach is a vibrant neighborhood teeming with excellent Italian restaurants and cafés, delightful boutiques and bookstores, terrific live music venues, and a vibrant nightlife, most of which are clustered around Columbus Avenue. Nearby city landmarks include the historic Coit Tower, an observation deck that provides 360-degree views of the city and bay, including the Golden Gate Bridge. Nestled between Fisherman’s Wharf and Chinatown, it is a bustling area that draws locals and tourists in equal measure.
It’s home to Caffè Trieste, the West Coast’s first espresso bar and the Beat-era City Lights Bookshop, and the annual North Beach Festival, one of the Bay Area’s favorite summer street festivals.
Victoria Bakery, founded in 1911, should be put on your list of places to visit for a range of classic Italian pastries, from Napoleons to cannoli to slices of Princess cake which are known to be life-changing.
尽管自20世纪50年代以来，该地区的意裔美国人人口急剧下降，但时至今日，其意大利传统仍然非常明显。除了古色古香的意大利招牌和店面，更不用说许多附近的母婴店了，北滩拥有无尽的美味的意大利餐馆，如一直流行的金童比萨和意大利自制公司。
探索旧金山小意大利的最佳方式是什么？
One of the best ways to dive into the San Francisco Italian District of North Beach is to join City Experiences’ Half Day by the Bay: North Beach, Fisherman’s Wharf & Scenic Bay Cruise.
On this four-hour tour, you’ll spend the afternoon exploring the history and culture of North Beach and Fisherman’s Wharf with an expert local guide, who will take you to some of the area’s most iconic landmarks on foot. After the walking tour, you’ll round off the afternoon with an hour-long cruise to take in spectacular views of the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island bringing you as close as you can get without a ticket!
如果你是一个美食家，你会喜欢我们的 终极旧金山美食之旅。北滩、唐人街和其他地方，这是一个三小时的盛宴，让你在旧金山最激动人心的一些街区吃个够。
You’ll learn the history behind some of the area’s most historic restaurants and cafés, with 10-plus tastings along the way. A bonus for lovers of Italian cuisine: You’ll get to tuck into some authentic cioppino, a hearty Italian seafood stew that’s been steadily served at an iconic North Beach joint over many decades.
You will get to meet the families who proudly carry on generations of delicious traditions through their community’s cuisine and discover some hidden hangouts in the downtown neighborhood that even some San Franciscans don’t know exist.
北滩怎么会成为旧金山的小意大利？
早在意大利移民涌入该地区并按照他们自己的特点改造它之前，北滩就是一个移民社区。19世纪末，来自爱尔兰、俄罗斯、德国、法国和东欧的移民在北滩定居，每个人都在他们称之为家的社区留下了不可磨灭的痕迹。
After the great fire and earthquake of 1906, most of the latter moved away, even as Italian migration to the area rapidly increased. By the 1920s, North Beach had been essentially transformed into San Francisco’s Little Italy, with most of its residents proudly claiming Italian ancestry with over 30 percent of all residents of the area having been born in Italy.
意大利移民是如何帮助塑造北滩社区和整个城市的？
在20世纪，北滩的意大利社区在塑造旧金山的经济方面发挥了突出的作用。
Banca d’Italia (today known as Bank of America) was the first Italian bank on American soil. Established in 1904 by Amadeo P. Giannini, the son of Italian immigrants from Liguria, Banca d’Italia started the business out of a converted saloon.
After the San Francisco earthquake of 1906, Giannini managed to recover money locked in the bank’s vault—a tremendous stroke of luck. As such, the bank was one of the few that was able to continue to make loans after the disaster, when loans were in particular demand. Banca d’Italia also was the first to give out loans to low-income immigrant families, during a time when loans were mostly the purview of the wealthy, helping small businesses and the working people of North Beach.
多年来，旧金山有许多具有意大利血统的政治家，包括三位意大利裔市长。
谁是来自旧金山小意大利的最有名的人？
棒球传奇人物乔-迪马乔于1914年出生于意大利西西里移民家庭，他在北滩长大，并在华盛顿广场公园对面的该地区著名的圣彼得和保罗教堂与他的第一任妻子结婚。旧金山的北滩操场甚至在2000年被重新命名为乔-迪马乔北滩操场，以纪念这位明星运动员第一次拿起棒球棒的地方。
意大利裔美国导演弗朗西斯-福特-科波拉（Francis Ford Coppola）在1956年开业的意大利咖啡馆Caffe Trieste完成了《教父》的大部分标志性剧本。它是北滩最受欢迎的咖啡店之一，也是西海岸第一家提供浓缩咖啡的咖啡馆。
如果这还不够，这家咖啡馆还拥有与"垮掉的一代"亚文化的密切联系，这是美国最重要的文学影响之一。披头士作家和诗人艾伦-金斯堡（Allen Ginsberg）、尼尔-卡萨迪（Neal Cassady）、杰克-凯鲁亚克（Jack Kerouac）和劳伦斯-费林盖蒂（Lawrence Ferlinghetti）都是在这家意大利咖啡馆里得到了启发，而后者甚至在拐角处开了他著名的城市之光书店。
Little Italy in San Francisco is one of the most charming areas with a rich history. Do not miss out on the opportunity to immerse yourself in the culture and lose yourself in the streets enjoying its tranquility. If you want to learn more about Little Italy in San Francisco, take advantage of the expertly guided tours with the Ultimate San Francisco Food Tour: North Beach, Chinatown & Beyond to get a real taste of the city as well as Half Day by the Bay: North Beach, Fisherman’s Wharf & Scenic Bay Cruise where you can sit back, relax, and give your legs a break all while seeing the city from a unique perspective-the water!
Original post date: December 28, 2022