We searched far and wide to put together this list of the most Greek places in North America – neighborhoods, landmarks and special places that make the United States and Canada great mosaics and melting pots of cultures – especially Greek.
Although both countries have changed in recent decades due to new waves of immigration, many aspects of “Greek America” remain the same.
Various authors such as Charlie Moskos and Helen Papanikolas have written books: “Greek Americans, struggles and successes” And “Little bird, tell me: stories of Greek immigrants”, respectively – in order to document daily life in the original Greek-American neighborhoods of yesteryear.
Here’s our list of the most Greek places in North America.
10) Greektown, Detroit, Michigan
One of the largest tourist destinations in Michigan and the Midwest, Detroit’s Greek Quarter has undergone a transformation into a “real” Greek neighborhood with a local church, thousands of Greek families living there, and a thriving Greek scene; However, the city fell on hard times and people left in droves for the more prosperous (and safer) suburbs. Yet several businessmen stood firm and created a giant casino, a hotel and enhanced the neighborhood’s Greek charm – and there are still a few good restaurants left.
9) Mount Olympus Park, Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin
That’s right – an entire theme park dedicated to the gods and goddesses of Mt. Olympus…right in…Wisconsin (of all places). Owned and operated by the Laskaris family, Mount Olympus Park is like a big, fat Greek Disneyland. In total, it is a 300-acre outdoor theme park open year-round with 44 water slides, seven roller coasters, a wave pool with nine-foot waves, eight go-kart tracks, and numerous rides for children with attractions like a life-size Trojan horse, a roller coaster named after Hades, Cyclops, Pegasus and Zeus, Pan’s Animal Farm and Poseidon’s underwater go-kart track.
8) Halsted Street, Chicago, Illinois
Chicago’s Greek Quarter was once thriving with nightlife, bars and restaurants lining Halsted Street and hundreds of young people lining up to get into the clubs. There is no bouzoukia or nightlife left, but a dozen Greek restaurants still line the street, as well as the Hellenic National Museum which serves as the neighborhood’s anchor. Historically, this is not where the Greeks settled. They actually lived in a neighborhood just south of the existing “Greektown” but were moved to make way for the University of Illinois campus and a massive highway that displaced thousands of people.
7) Nashville Parthenon, Nashville, Tennessee
Yes, just one monument ranks seventh on our list in a city that’s not exactly known for its large Greek community. The Nashville Parthenon was built for the 1897 World’s Fair to the exact specifications of the original. It’s quite surreal to see it in all its glory, even containing the ornate, golden statue of Athena inside – the original left only in literature and long melted down by invaders as war spoils of the victors.
6) Greektown, Baltimore, Maryland
Greektown in Baltimore has been home to a thriving Greek-American community since the 1930s. Once known simply as The Hill, its residents petitioned the Baltimore City Council in the 1980s to officially change the neighborhood’s name in Greektown. They succeeded. This neighborhood is definitely old-school Greek, known for its many restaurants, authentic cafes, bakeries, and small businesses of all kinds. Although it is a diverse community made up largely of blue-collar workers from many ethnic backgrounds, it is dominated by Greeks.
5) Park extension, Montreal, Canada
Montreal filmmaker Tony Asimakopoulos has led a successful crowdfunding campaign aimed at complementing (and preserving) the Greek history and culture of this gem of a neighborhood in the French-speaking province of Quebec. Many Greek immigrants settled in the neighborhood from the mid-1960s to the 1980s. In the 1970s, nearly 70% of residents were of Greek origin and almost all businesses along Jean-Talon Street, between Boulevard L’Acadie and Avenue du Parc, belonged to Canadians of Greek origin. In 1977 there were more than 100 Greek companies, while today there are only a dozen left. Four Greek churches remain, serving the predominantly older Greek residents who still live in the area.
4) The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York
This museum New York City has the largest collection of ancient Greek objects outside of Greece. Over the years, considerable effort has been placed not only on classical antiquities, but also on the collection and preservation of Byzantine objects, largely thanks to Greek-American benefactors Mary and Michael Jaharis, who even have an entire gallery which bears their name in the museum. .
3) Danforth Avenue, Toronto, Canada
Boasting itself as the “largest Greek neighborhood” in North America, Toronto’s Danforth Avenue is the mecca for all things Greek in Ontario. Dozens of restaurants, cafes and one of the largest Greek street festivals in the world – the Taste of the Danforth – make this place so special and so Greek. Like most urban immigrant neighborhoods, the Danforth (as locals call it) has seen its Greek population decline over the years, as children of the second generation of immigrants flock to the suburbs.
2) Astoria, New York
Affectionately known as “Greektown USA,” Astoria is the stuff legends are made of. Tens of thousands of Greeks are still calling Astoria their house. A Pappas Post reader and a local Astoria legend named “Jimbway” summed it up this way: “Astoria is Greek to its core. Here, even the homeless, the graffiti and the criminals are Greek.” To be fair, many other ethnic groups call Astoria “their own” and the Greek presence has dwindled since its peak in the 1970s. But you’ll still see dozens of Greek-owned stores, Greek Orthodox churches, clubs football, social clubs of all shapes and colors and, yes, even Greek road rage when someone passes you on the street.
1) Tarpon Springs, Florida
Sorry Astoria, but Tarpon Springs takes the cake as the most Greek place in North America. A continuous Greek presence for over a century, the smell of real salt water and quaint fishing boats dotting the harbor with names like “Anastasia” and “Agios Nikolaos” make this Florida fishing village our premier choice. Add to this the living presence of sponge fishermen whose parents and grandparents came from distant Greek islands and whose second, third and fourth generation descendants carry on the traditions of their ancestors. A Greek-American congressman named Gus Bilirakis, representing the district, is also a huge plus, not to mention a mayor of Greek descent named Chris Alahouzos, of, you guessed it, Kalymnos.
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