New York Know
Mulberry Street is best understood as a compact Lower Manhattan walk through three overlapping settings: boutique-lined Nolita, the restaurant blocks of Little Italy and Chinatown. Walk it north to south—from Bleecker Street to Columbus Park—and the changes unfold without a subway ride between them.
The direct route is roughly three-quarters of a mile and takes about 20 minutes without stops. Allow 60–90 minutes to look around, or two to three hours if you add a museum and a meal.
A practical Mulberry Street route
1. Start at Bleecker Street in Nolita
Take the subway to Bleecker Street and use the entrance at Bleecker and Mulberry. The MTA lists the station as accessible, with 6 service and an in-station connection to the B, D, F and M; check current service before leaving because late-night and weekend service can differ (MTA).
Walk south on Mulberry. This northern section feels more like Nolita than Little Italy, with small shops, cafés and residential buildings rather than rows of Italian restaurants. NYC Tourism describes Nolita—short for “North of Little Italy”—as an area of cozy cafés, boutiques, independent designers and streetside restaurants (NYC Tourism).
At Prince Street, pause beside the Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral. The church’s history identifies it as New York’s first Catholic cathedral and says it formally opened in 1815 (Basilica history). Its address is 263 Mulberry Street, but the entrance is on Mott Street between Prince and Houston, so walk around the block if you want to go inside. Check the worship schedule and remember that this remains an active church (visitor directions).
2. Continue through Little Italy
By Broome and Grand Streets, Italian-American imagery and visitor-oriented restaurants become more prominent. Restaurant patios, bakeries and souvenir shops concentrate along this part of Mulberry.
At 151 Mulberry Street, the Italian American Museum provides context beyond the street’s restaurant identity. As of September 2026, it lists public hours from noon to 5 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. Tuesday and Wednesday are appointment-only, with no public hours Sunday or Monday. Confirm before building a day around it (Italian American Museum).
If you plan to eat here, read the posted menu and prices before taking a table rather than choosing in response to a sidewalk invitation. An Italian meal can anchor the walk, but it is not the only option: Chinatown offers many more places within the same compact outing.
3. Cross Canal Street and continue into Chinatown
For this route, Canal Street is a useful wayfinding point, not a firm cultural boundary. The neighborhoods overlap, and businesses associated with Chinatown extend north of Canal.
Continue south to Bayard Street and Columbus Park. The park occupies the block bounded by Mulberry, Bayard, Baxter and Worth Streets. The site was once Mulberry Bend, beside the Five Points district. The tenements were cleared, and the Calvert Vaux-designed park opened in 1897; NYC Parks notes that the surrounding area later became part of a growing Chinatown (NYC Parks).
Columbus Park is the natural end of the Mulberry Street walk. From here, extend the outing east along Bayard Street toward Mott, Pell and curved Doyers Street, or turn west along Worth Street toward the Civic Center and City Hall.
When to walk
For a calmer look at storefronts and architecture, go on a weekday morning. For outdoor dining and a livelier street, choose an evening or weekend.
Under the city’s 2026 Open Streets schedule, Mulberry Street between Broome and Canal is closed to regular vehicle traffic Thursday and Friday from 4:30 to 11:30 p.m. and weekends from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., from April 15 through December 31. The Hester Street block between Mott and Mulberry follows the same schedule. Hours can change, so verify the current listing with NYC DOT.
September is different. The Feast of San Gennaro fills Mulberry Street with food stands, music and processions, producing a festival visit rather than an ordinary neighborhood walk. The city lists the 2026 feast for September 17–27 (NYC Events). Go during the feast for the event itself; choose another week if your priority is seeing storefronts and moving easily.
Subway and route planning
Best north-to-south plan: Arrive at Bleecker Street and finish near Columbus Park. This preserves the progression from Nolita through Little Italy and into Chinatown.
Best shorter visit: Start at Canal Street, walk north to Grand and Prince, then return south through Chinatown. The Canal Street complex serves several lines. The MTA specifically lists the 6 platform at Canal and Lafayette as accessible; that designation does not apply to every platform in the complex (MTA).
Leaving Columbus Park: Walk back north toward the Canal Street complex, or continue west toward the accessible Brooklyn Bridge–City Hall station. Check the MTA app or service-status page before choosing, especially on weekends.
The street is flat, but narrow sidewalks, restaurant seating and festival crowds can slow the route. Visitors who need more space should favor a weekday morning and check elevator status immediately before travel.
Is Mulberry Street worth visiting?
Yes—if you treat it as a connector rather than a stand-alone half-day attraction. Its value is the change in neighborhood character over a short distance. A strong plan is Mulberry Street plus one anchor: the Italian American Museum, a Chinatown meal or a longer Lower Manhattan route.
That follows the same principle as grouping cool things to do in NYC by area: one focused neighborhood sequence is usually more rewarding than crossing the city for disconnected stops.