By Cristina Tamma
Little Italy, referred to as College St. West or Latintown is a district of downtown Toronto. It’s popular for its many Italian Canadian restaurants and businesses. The district is centered around a strip along College St. overflowing with restaurants, bars and shopping. The heart of the neighbourhood is College and Clinton Street and the residential areas that surround it.
When Italians first arrived in Toronto including members of my own family during the early 20th century, they first settled in an area then know as “The Ward” which centered around University Ave. and College St. By the 1920′s many of them moved west to Bathurst St. and the College-Clinton area which became the city’s “Little Italy”. During those times, the once affordable Victorian homes were purchased by Italian immigrants, many of whom worked on the railways and in road construction.
During the 1950′s and 1960′s many of the immigrants moved north of the city to suburbs, which at that time I associated
with having the financial means to do so. Since we did not have those resources, many of us continued living in those small victorian homes. Only later did I realize how lucky I was to have grown up in such a neighbourhood that was so rich in “community”. Now as a mother of two young children, I truly appreciate living in such a neighbourhood and take my own kids down there so that they can be part of their own history.
Today, Little Italy has become a very popular district and has a population which is ethnically diverse. Younger crowds love it because of the exciting nightlife and proximity to the dowtown core. Many younger professionals have been buying homes in the neighbourhood. It’s a great place to raise a family and everything is at arms length!
Cristina Tamma is a Sales Representative with Royal LePage R.E.S./Johnston & Daniel Division. Cristina is a regular contributor to the Muddy York Blog. Cristina can be reached at cristinatamma@rogers.com.
