Denver

The Little Italy neighborhood in Denver is located primarily within the modern day Sunnyside/Highland neighborhoods in North Denver. First populated by Italian immigrants drawn to the area by work on the area’s railroads in the late 19th century, the neighborhood grew and featured many different Italian owned shops and businesses. Our Lady of Mount Carmel, which was organized for the Italian residents in the area principally by Father Mariano Felice Lepore, has served the community since 1894 and is still thriving. Restaurants like Gaetano’s and Lechuga’s are popular restaurants which thrive in the neighborhood, and other Italian-American owned businesses still exist, though the neighborhood is primarily Hispanic in the present day.