The Original Little Italy
Restaurant Association
Since the 1970s, the restaurateurs of L.I.R.A. have worked together to promote and preserve the neighborhood they call home.
The Original Little Italy Restaurant Association (L.I.R.A.) was founded by a handful of neighborhood restaurateurs who believed Little Italy was stronger when its businesses pulled together. For half a century, its members have been dedicated to promoting and preserving the character of the neighborhood.
Over the years, L.I.R.A. has helped bring some of Little Italy's most beloved traditions to life — among them the long-running Open Air Film Festival (1999–2017), where films were projected onto a neighborhood wall on summer Friday evenings, and the annual Tree Lighting held on the first Friday in December.
Today the work of promoting the neighborhood's events and heritage continues through the Promotion Center for Little Italy, a volunteer-run nonprofit that produces communications and promotional materials for Little Italy's many organizations.