Once the center of the windy city’s Italian American community, Little Italy Chicago is still home to some of the city’s best Italian restaurants and bars. Its close proximity to the University of Illinois at Chicago has also dubbed the area University Village, but its Italian American history holds fast.

The area on the near west side of Chicago is home to the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame as well as the historic Roman Catholic churches Our Lady of Pompeii, Notre Dame de Chicago and Holy Family. On Little Italy’s best-known street, Taylor Street, and its surrounding area, visitors and locals can dine at some of the city’s favorite Italian spots. The Taylor Street Festa, formerly Festa Italiana, returned in August 2018.