Little Italy

Little Italy is one of the well established neighbourhoods in the city, centered on Preston Street. It's a community where people live, shop, and dine, with a lot of history and a strong Italian heritage. 

I'm down here pretty much every day. I don't really cook for myself, but there's a place here I go to for sandwiches. DiRienzo's is an institution down here; it's an Italian grocer that probably does half its business on sandwiches alone. Either deli sandwiches or ready made sandwiches on rolls, with choices like chicken parmigiana, omelette, steak, veal, or pork. And they have pasta and Italian desserts for good measure. You can expect long lines around noon, and the place is famous. People from out of town who know about it ask locals to bring some of the food when they visit.

The 417 is the main freeway passing through the city, from east to west. That includes over Preston Street, and here the underpass has been put to good use. The walls on both sides have been painted with community panels, silhouettes of immigrants, and Italian themes. It brightens up the space beneath the freeway. 

The heart of Little Italy for over a century has been St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, up Gladstone from Preston. It is an imposing building, a social and cultural hub integral to the area.