Bloomberg Says San Gennaro Festival To Run Full Length

The fancy boutiques in Nolita will have to put up with the clamor of one of New York City's most historic street fairs.

Mayor Bloomberg granted a permit for the Feast of San Gennaro to continue its full-length festival in September, the New York Post reports.

From the Post:

Bloomberg - who is no fan of street fairs - sided with the 85-year-old Italian festival, allowing it to run the length of Mulberry Street, from Canal to Houston, for 11 days despite the board's request it be cut off at Kenmare.

The festival will end at midnight on Fridays and Saturdays--30 minutes earlier than last year--and will begin 30 minutes later, at 11:30 a.m., everyday for 11 days.

Owners of high-end boutiques in Nolita "complained about the festival, depicting it as a greasy, low-brow event" according to the Post.

We wonder if this year's festival will draw any Italian-born citizens to Little Italy, and not just American tourists.

Last week, the New York Times, penned a piece about the Census not recording a single Italian-born resident of Little Italy.

Check out all of Curbed's coverage of the San Gennaro conflict here.