Greektown is a general name for an ethnic enclave populated primarily by Greeks or people of Greek ancestry, usually in an urban neighborhood.

History

The oldest Greek dominated neighborhood outside of Greece were probably the Fener in Istanbul or the Ash Shatibi in Alexandria.

For many centuries in Vienna existed the Griechenviertel (Greek quarter) in the Innere Stadt (inner town). Later the Greek community moved to other newer quarters. A traditional Austrian restaurant there is called Griechenbeisl (Greek tavern) and a street Griechengasse (Greek lane).

Greektowns by location

In Canada

In the United States

A typical housing pattern found in United States' Greektowns is to buy a multiple story dwelling, move into the lower floor and rent the upper floors to other Greeks.

Greektown – also known as Greektown on the Danforth, or more simply, The Danforth – is a neighbourhood and Business Improvement Area (BIA) of the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located on Danforth Avenue, between Chester Avenue and Dewhurst Blvd., in east Toronto. Named after Asa Danforth, an American contractor who designed Queen Street and Kingston Road — other streets in the city — the area is known for its architecture dating back to as early as 1910, and for its number of Greek restaurants and stores. The area was one of the major settlement areas of Greek immigrants to Toronto after World War I.

History

Prior to World War II, Toronto's nascent Greek population of approximiately 3,000 was concentrated in the area bounded by Yonge Street, Carlton Street, Church Street and what is now Dundas Street East. It was this area that was the focus of the 1918 Toronto anti-Greek riot.

In the 1950s, the Danforth saw an influx of Italian immigrants followed by Greek immigrants in the 1960s - many of whom were fleeing political and economic unrest which culminated in the seizure of power by the Greek military junta of 1967–74.

Greektown in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada is an area in the Kitsilano neighborhood that was historically an enclave of Greek immigrants and their descendants. The term is an informal one, and Greektown's borders were never strictly defined. However, West Broadway at Trutch Street is generally considered the neighbourhood's heart. Residents of Vancouver's west side also refer to Greektown as "Greek West Broadway." Vancouverites of Greek descent, who live in Kitsilano, nostalgically also call the area Ουέστ Μπροντουέι (literally "West Broadway").

This Greek identity has waned considerably since the area first became a community of exiles during the dictatorship in Greece of the 1960s and early 1970s, and the primary markers of Greektown are St. George's Greek Orthodox Cathedral located at the intersection of Arbutus Street and Valley Drive, the local Athens Social Club, a Greek supermarket, and a higher-than-average concentration of Greek restaurants. There is also a Greek Senior Citizen Society.