The future of Leichhardt as the city’s Little Italy is uncertain

Sydney’s Leichhardt and its famed Norton St were once the centre of Italian culture in Sydney, but with parts of it resembling a ghost town its status is under threat.

Giovanni Totaro (left) with his uncle Ciccio in Little Italy restaurant which is shifting from Leichhardt to Haberfield. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

As a restaurateur Giovanni Totaro knows the importance of following trends – now he’s following the new Italian migration and getting out of Leichhardt.

After growing up in Sydney’s Little Italy, Mr Totaro has seen the suburb turn from thriving Italian hub to a virtual ghost town.

After 14 years he is taking his iconic restaurant Little Sicily out of the suburb to the neighbouring up and coming Italian hub Haberfield.

“The Italian culture is moving over to Haberfield because Norton St hit its peak years ago,” he said.

“I just don’t feel the vibe in Norton St, Haberfield is creating a nice little vibe pocket … I’m not sure what is happening in Leichhardt but the area has changed completely.”

Little Sicily owner Giovanni Totaro with wife Sandra and son Luca. Totaro says Norton St has lost its vibe.

Mr Totaro will shut up shop and move next year, with plans for his current Leichhardt site to become a block of apartments.

He isn’t sure how Leichhardt got to this point. Theories among locals include the introduction of paid parking on Norton St, rising rents for businesses and a lack of new housing keeping potential customers away.

In 2019 locals from both Haberfield and Leichhardt lobbied for their suburb to be officially dubbed Little Italy by the Inner West Council.

In 2021, despite its fading glory, the council voted to give Leichhardt the title over Haberfield. But with a slew of empty shopfronts creating an eyesore on Norton St and the much maligned Italian Forum still struggling to attract visitors, the inner west suburb is in need of a customer boost more than ever.

The Italian Forum in Leichhardt is a ghost town. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Shop owner Sergey German has run his clothing shop in the Italian Forum for 20 years. He has had his shop on the market for a year with hopes of shutting up shop, but is yet to find a buyer.

“It is becoming a suburb for old people,” he said.

“Some people live here around the corner for seven years but never visit the forum, there’s just nothing to do here.”

There has been speculation among some retailers in the precinct that the developer. Redstone, who bought the site earlier this year, has still not settled on the sale of the precinct.

Others say many Italian migrant shop owners who made the inner west their home when they landed Down Under have now left Leichhardt in favour of setting up shop in Haberfield.

So dire has it become that even Leichhardt’s pubs have been boarded up.

One, the Leichhardt Hotel, locals say has been abandoned for more than a decade and has been the subject of rumours that Sydney’s pub barons were soon to swoop in.

But that has not eventuated.

Jackson Pellow pictured out front of his Leichhardt house with the neighbouring home that has been abandoned for decades. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

As the suburb loses its Italian flavour a new war is brewing between housing developers and NIMBY long time locals.

At a fiery council meeting last week a housing advocate alleges he was called a “f --king dickhead” by locals opposing a proposal to build flats nearby the Taverners Hill light rail.

Sydney YIMBY (Yes in My Backyard) Chair Justin Simon said getting more housing density in Leichhardt won’t only provide crucial housing stock, but will provide businesses with the customers they need.

“Where the Inner West got its more recent character was because it was the first place new migrants could settle because there was cheap housing – there’s no cheap or new housing now,” he said.

“As this meeting demonstrated there were around 20-30 locals quite vocal with heckling, most of them would have bought their home 20 years ago, they were able to buy cheap and live close to the city and their jobs, and now they have decided to pull the ladder for the new generation.”

Portobello restaurant manager, Paul Maait, says the Italian Forum has to change. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Jackson Pellow has lived in Leichhardt for 15 years, and for the last four years has lived next to a home that has become abandoned and overgrown.

He’s frustrated – not only does the dilapidated house bring pests into his garden, but it’s stopping another family from being able to live in the suburb as it lays empty.

“Ideally it should be developed so people can live there. I want new neighbours because you can’t invite bush turkeys over for a barbie, unless they’re on the menu.” he said.

It’s not all doom and gloom though, with some businesses like bar Otis proving a hit among locals, and hopes a council proposal to introduce a special entertainment precinct could revitalise the area.

Norton St was once the thriving hub of the Italian community.

One of the first Italian style cafes in Leichhardt was opened in 1956.

Currently being trialled in Enmore, the special precinct would give night-life venues more power to engage with locals about sound complaints and cut back red tape.

Among the empty restaurant spaces of the Italian Forum sits Portabello, a new Italian cafe that owner Paul Maiita hopes can bring some new life to the space.

“We really need people to start coming back,” he said

“I’d like this place to be like the old days.

“When this place is pumping it’s not just good for the forum it’s good for the whole of Leichhardt.

“Everyone thought it was dead here because of Covid but the truth is it was empty here for years even before that.”

Mr Maiita set up shop three months ago and is one of a growing chorus of voices wanting to breathe new life into Leichhardt, even as some flee.

Inner West Council did not answer questions from The Sunday Telegraph, but pointed towards a main streets revitalisation fund of $7.5m which will go towards street furniture, art, decorations and infrastructure.

Businesses and local organisations can pitch their projects for funding.

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