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Neighbourhood guide

Living in Little Italy, Toronto

A College Street of old Italian cafés and bakeries, wine bars and patios, with streets of brick houses split into flats running north toward Bloor. Here is what renting in Little Italy is actually like, how you get around, and the trade-offs locals talk about.
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College Street Patios and cafés Flats in houses Bike lanes
4 rentals available in Little Italy
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What's it like to live in Little Italy?

Little Italy is the stretch of College Street west of Bathurst, centred on Clinton and Grace streets, with streets of Victorian and Edwardian houses running north toward Harbord and Bloor. Italian families settled along College in the early twentieth century and Portuguese families followed, and in 2021 about one resident in nine still reported Italian origins and one in twelve Portuguese. The strip mixes long running cafés and bakeries like Café Diplomatico and Riviera with newer restaurants and wine bars.Most of the housing is old and low. In the City's Palmerston-Little Italy neighbourhood, which runs north of College to Bloor, 73% of homes were built before 1961, 59% are in low rise buildings, 21% are semis or row houses and only 5% are in buildings of five or more storeys. Rentals are mostly flats in houses, often split into two or three units, and apartments above the College Street storefronts. The south side of College is counted with Trinity-Bellwoods.About six in ten households rented in 2021, the median resident was 37, and households averaged 2.1 people. It is a cycling neighbourhood too: 16% of commuters biked and another 17% walked. Rent runs above the city middle: in the 2021 census the median tenant household paid $1,760 a month for rent and utilities, against $1,500 across Toronto.College Street covers the basics: Grace Meat Market, Healthy Planet and College Fruit Market within a few minutes of Clinton, a Metro toward Shaw, and cafés and bakeries including the Sicilian Sidewalk Café. The Royal cinema is a minute away, the College/Shaw library branch is about eight minutes west, and Trinity Bellwoods Park is about 13 minutes south.There is no subway on College. The 506 Carlton streetcar runs along College and reaches Queen's Park Station on Line 1 in about 15 minutes, and Christie and Bathurst stations on Line 2 are about 17 and 19 minutes north on foot. The trade-offs are late night noise from the bars and patios, old houses where heating and upkeep vary, and rents above the city middle.

Best suited for

  • Young professionals
  • Cyclists
  • Food and patio lovers
  • U of T students sharing a flat
  • –Light sleepers
  • –Renters who want a new building

Quick facts

  • Population13,100
  • Renter households59%
  • Median age37
  • Homes built before 196173%

Getting around

The 506 streetcar along College, Line 2 a walk north, and bike lanes on College itself.

94/100

WalkabilityGroceries, cafés and restaurants along College

72/100

Transit accessA streetcar on College, Line 2 a walk north

88/100

CyclingBike lanes on College and quiet side streets
Queen's Park Station, Line 115 min by streetcar
Bathurst Station, Line 219 min walk
Kensington Market15 min walk
Christie Station, Line 217 min walk
Trinity Bellwoods Park13 min walk
U of T, Robarts Library24 min walk
505 Dundas
511 Bathurst
506 Carlton
94 Wellesley

Little Italy on the map

The neighbourhood outline, and the places listed further down the page.

Schools and childcare

St. Francis of Assisi Catholic School and Clinton Street Junior Public School are a few minutes from College and Clinton, the French public school Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau is about six, and Harbord Collegiate is the nearest public secondary. Which school serves an address is set by the board, so check the TDSB and TCDSB school locators. Walk times are measured from College Street and Clinton Street.
SchoolTypeWalk time
St. Francis of Assisi Catholic School
Catholic · Elementary2 min
Clinton Street Junior Public School
Public · Elementary4 min
École élémentaire Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau
French public · Elementary6 min
Montrose Junior Public School
Public · Elementary9 min
Harbord Collegiate Institute
Public · Secondary11 min
Central Toronto Academy
Public · Secondary11 min

Around the neighbourhood

Walk times from College Street and Clinton Street. Most shops are on College between Bathurst and Shaw.

Groceries

  • Grace Meat Market3 min
  • Healthy Planet3 min
  • College Fruit Market4 min
  • Metro7 min

Coffee and bakeries

  • Riviera Bakery1 min
  • Agenda Cafe1 min
  • Cafe Belém3 min
  • Sicilian Sidewalk Café6 min

Food and drink

  • Café Diplomatico1 min
  • Pizzeria Libretto1 min
  • Sotto Voce Wine & Pasta Bar1 min
  • The Orbit Room1 min

Parks

  • Healey Willan Park7 min
  • Fred Hamilton Playground9 min
  • Art Eggleton Park9 min
  • Bickford Park12 min

Fitness

  • Urbanfitt Studio1 min
  • Flyt Club9 min
  • F45 Training11 min
  • Scadding Court Community Centre13 min

Everyday services

  • The Royal1 min
  • Pedalinx Bike Shop4 min
  • Sellers & Newel4 min
  • TPL: College/Shaw Branch8 min

Rent with confidence in Little Italy

What Ontario tenancy rules protect, and how liv.rent keeps the process safe from first message to signed lease.

Deposits are limited

A landlord in Ontario can ask for a rent deposit of up to one month of rent, and it can only be used for your last month. Damage and pet deposits are not allowed, and the landlord owes you interest on the rent deposit every year.

Rent increases are limited

Most rents can go up once every 12 months, by no more than the provincial guideline, with 90 days of written notice. Units first lived in after November 15, 2018 are exempt from the guideline, though the landlord still has to give that notice.

Every listing is verified

Landlords complete ID verification before they can post, and you can sign the lease and pay rent through liv.rent, so there is no e-transfer to a stranger.
Flats near College Street go quickly, especially before September, and that rush is when fake listings appear. Never send a deposit before viewing the unit and meeting the landlord, and never pay outside a platform that keeps a record. A room where you share a kitchen or bathroom with the owner may not be covered by the Residential Tenancies Act, so ask before you sign. The tenancy points above are general information about renting in Ontario, not legal or financial advice. For guidance on your own tenancy, contact the Landlord and Tenant Board.How liv.rent verification works

Little Italy rental questions

Is Little Italy expensive compared with the rest of Toronto?

Somewhat, on the census. In 2021 the median tenant household in the City's Palmerston-Little Italy neighbourhood paid $1,760 a month for rent and utilities, against $1,500 across Toronto. A flat listed today asks more than that median. CMHC's citywide average for an occupied purpose built apartment was $1,916 in October 2025.

Is Little Italy noisy?

On College, often. The bars, restaurants and patios around Clinton and Grace stay busy late, especially on summer weekends, and flats above the storefronts hear it. The residential streets north of College are much quieter.

Is there a subway near Little Italy?

Not on College. The 506 Carlton streetcar reaches Queen's Park Station on Line 1 in about 15 minutes, and Christie and Bathurst stations on Line 2 are about 17 and 19 minutes north on foot.

Is Little Italy a good place for U of T students?

It is a common choice. Robarts Library is about 24 minutes on foot from College and Clinton, or a short ride on the 506 streetcar, and shared flats in houses are the usual way students rent here. Start looking early for a September move.

What should I check before renting a flat in a Little Italy house?

Ask whether utilities are included or split with the other units, whether there is laundry you can use, and how the space is heated. Basement units should have proper windows and a second way out. If you would share a kitchen or bathroom with the owner, the Residential Tenancies Act may not cover the arrangement.

Are Little Italy rentals covered by rent control?

Most flats in older houses are, as long as the unit was lived in before November 15, 2018. A unit first occupied after that date, such as a newly created basement apartment, is exempt from the provincial guideline, so the landlord can raise the rent by any amount with 90 days of written notice. Ask before you sign.

Is parking included with Little Italy rentals?

Rarely. Most houses have no driveway, and street parking is by permit, so ask whether a space comes with the unit. Many renters here cycle or take the streetcar instead.
Ready to look? Browse Little Italy rentals1 bed from $850 to 2 beds from $2,400
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Methodology

Places, parks, schools and transit routes on this page come from OpenStreetMap. Walk times are approximate. Population, age and how many households rent come from Statistics Canada's 2021 Census, as the City of Toronto publishes it for its Palmerston-Little Italy neighbourhood. Rent and vacancy come from CMHC's Rental Market Survey for October 2025, for the City of Toronto. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Toronto.Listing counts and prices come from liv.rent, so they show what's on the platform rather than the whole city.OpenStreetMap, Statistics Canada, CMHC, Open Government Licence – Toronto. Last updated October 2026.