Thursday, November 7, 2013

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.



32 comments:

  1. I used to love Little Italy in NYC! This looks like a lovely neighbourhood, especially for the palate, lol. The murals are wonderful.

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  2. i wish we had a little italy here, yum! i like those panels under the bridge, cool!

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    1. It's such a good use of the space. Even adding park benches in was a good idea.

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  3. So THAT'S your sandwich place! I've been hearing about it almost as long as I've known you--now I know what it looks like!

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  4. I didn't realize Ottawa had a Little Italy. But why not?! Sounds like a fabulous place to get a bite to eat.

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    1. The community down there is very tight. It's a nice place to go to.

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  5. I like the shots from under the freeway bridge. And I am surprised is not destroyed by wandals. Greets.

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    1. Fortunately graffiti types seem to stay away from that whole area. I can't recall seeing any graffiti in those parts.

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  6. Little Italy looks just like the place to visit. Do they do good pizzas too? And good of you to choose a sunny day for those photos, the light suits the name.
    Greetings from London!

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    1. They do great pizza in various restaurants down there!

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  7. I like the signage of "Allegro" and the sandwich shop sounds like its a little gem

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    1. It is. The house looks very simple, but the place is a goldmine. It's been written about in national newspapers.

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  8. Hi William, I am a first time visitor having dropped in from Stavanger Daily Photo. We were recently on a visit which included Toronto and went to find their Little Italy section which was not what we expected, as there were no definitive stores or restaurants. We were told that the neighborhood is mostly residential. Time did not allow a visit to Ottawa, but it is on a future trip list, so now we will know where to go. And being natives of NJ, we are also familiar with New York's Little Italy.
    Please feel free to drop into our blog, The Frog and PenguINN for a look around anytime. I am the primary writer and photographer and soon will start a separate photo blog, but would find it hard to limit myself to just one a day.

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    1. I shall drop by!

      Our Little Italy is very much a mix of residential, restaurants, shops, and cafes. It definitely wears that Italianness on its sleeve.

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  9. I could go for a chicken parmigiana right now! I didn't know there was a Little ltaly in Ottawa either.

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    1. It's up at the top of Dow's Lake, so it's very easy to find. And the chicken parmigiana is very tasty!

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  10. Ah, those Italians really get around! Love Italian food!

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  11. Hmm, I think I need to do some cooking this weekend. Love good Italian!

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  12. Love the pics, of course. Lucky ... for the food.

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  13. I wish there was a Little Italy in my city (or even Denver). Such good food. Lucky you!

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    1. One can never have too much Italian food.

      Well, actually, that's not quite true, but we won't listen to the nutritionists.

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  14. Lovely shots! I especially like the little house on top and the silhouettes on the tunnel.

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  15. My favorite is the first image/house.

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    1. I find myself wondering if anyone lives in the upstairs of that restaurant. Some of them do get converted for upper floor living in that area...

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  16. There are some fascinating buildings here. I love Allegro.

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    1. It's very much a close knit community, and it shows in the architecture.

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