Little Italy - Toronto

Next door to...

Neighbouring Neighbourhoods next door to this one!

Where in Toronto?

Boundaries of the 'hood

Belongs to, falls in, or is a part of...

• Former municipality Old Toronto

• Municipal Ward

• School Ward

• Community Council

• Federal Riding

• Provincial Riding

• Residents' Association

• Missed something, put it here!

Best known for

When Italy won the World Cup soccer championships in 1992, more than 200,000 people poured onto the street to celebrate. Many of the shops here still display photos of the impromptu party, which lasted for days.

• Maybe it's got a cool event

• or even another event

• or a secret or whatever!

About this neighbourhood

An Overview. Describe your neighbourhood! Major landmarks, shortcuts, nature trails...

What's Fun ?

Hanging out on the patios... especially during the World Cup

This lively neighbourhood (now more Portuguese than Italian) is the spiritual home of Toronto's Italian community, which has for the most part migrated further north. It's packed with trattorias, trendy restaurants and cafés, and a few more traditional poolhalls. Like Greektown, Little Italy's sidewalks are jammed on weekends – especially in the summer, with locals and visitors alike sipping espressos on outdoor patios.

When the sun sets, street signs illuminate in the shape of Italy’s “boot.” Little Italy is one of the hottest nightspots in Toronto. Many of the restaurants and bars open out onto the sidewalk, and some are places where the crowd goes to see and be seen.

Hungry?

With such a large Italian population, needless to say Toronto has excellent Italian restaurants, reflecting the various regional cuisines and current culinary trends. It’s difficult to go wrong when choosing an Italian eatery in the city, as chefs are kept authentic by the demanding expectations of local residents!

Little Italy is FULL of GREAT restaurants. Most of them are Italian, but now many other cultures are entering the neighbourhood. Some of the great restaurants on the main strip along College St. include Cafe Diplomatico, Bar Italia, Sushi Island...

College Falafel is a must try kind of place. It's a family owned restaurant serving Mediterranean food and the Halifax-Style Donair. It's a little off the main strip on Ossington Ave. just north of College St.

History

Little Italy was an area where many Italian families settled. Now many of the Italian restaurants along College are owned by families who are moved to Woodbridge a suburban community just north of Toronto that has a high Italian population. There is a high Portuguese population currently living in the Little Italy area.

Italians have played an important role in Canadian history ever since Giovanni Caboto (John Cabot) explored and claimed Newfoundland for England in 1497. But the first real wave of immigration to Canada was between 1885 and 1924, when Italian men left their villages in southern Italy to work as seasonal labourers.

After World War II, another wave of Italians arrived, this time settling around College St. – our first “Little Italy.” They were displacing Jewish residents of the area, who were migrating north. As the community matured, however, they too moved north, to the “Corso Italia” area – and to the suburbs as well. (Woodbridge, Richmond Hill and Mississauga are home to thousands of Italian families).

So while the original Little Italy is in fact more Portuguese today, the Italian atmosphere remains. Italian cafés and restaurants abound, as do "social clubs" - another interesting aspect of the community. These coffee shops and billiard halls are filled with conversation, cigarette smoke, and lots of animated discussion about soccer – because their clientele is mostly older Italian men.

Housing and Accommodations

What's the housing scene like? How much for how much? Architecture Styles. Price Ranges. How new or old are most of the housing here? Condominiums, Townhouses... Major complexes, best apartment buildings, golden cockroach award? If applicable: Hotels / Motels / Hostels / Bed and Breakfasts for out-of-towners, here's the scoop.

Transit

Transportation overview, transit options, bike lanes, official routes, highways, Bus. Streetcar. Subway. TTC routes which pass through or cover this neighbourhood. TTC stations / Go Transit / Greyhound Stops