Troy's Little Italy

Italian immigrants began arriving in Troy in the late 1880s, escaping the abject poverty of their homeland. They settled in Troy s First and Eighth Wards, just south of the central business district, in an area bustling with activity. The neighborhood contained blocks of two- and three-story brick buildings and a mix of row houses and freestanding homes. Most homes were built on streets adjacent to the western slope of Mount Ida, the city s most prominent geographic feature. Within a few years, these Italian immigrants began opening small businesses, particularly on Fourth Street, the center of the Little Italy neighborhood, and soon became an important part of Troy s cultural heritage."