People lounge on sidewalk patios and sip cappuccinos, while window shoppers eye everything from art and antiques to kittens and dresses.

What could easily be mistaken for a street in a European capital is actually Wortley Village on a typical summer morning.

Nestled in London’s Old South neighbourhood, Wortley Village is best known for its 19th-century homes, eclectic array of shops and cafes, walkability and a name as one of the most-coveted places to live in London.

Now the neighbourhood is hoping to polish its national reputation

The village within a city has been nominated in the best-neighbourhood category in the Great Places Canada competition, a yearly contest sponsored by the Canadian Institute of Planners recognizing the country’s favourite streets, public places and neighbourhoods.

“It really has a community feel to it — that really small-town feel where people walk or bike to the shops or just in their neighbourhood,” said Bob Porter, president of the Old South Community Organization.

With no big-box stores in sight, the neighbourhood boasts restaurants offering cuisine from around the globe, art galleries, a pet shop, yoga studio and dozens of other independent businesses.

“There’s something for everyone in the area,” said Elaine Ball, who works at the Westland Gallery and the Art Exchange.

But bricks and mortar don’t make a neighbourhood — people do, say residents.

“The people here really care about the community. They will fight for what’s right in their community,” Ball said.

The neighbourhood has dropped the gloves for a few memorable scraps — like the time residents fought to keep the Valu-Mart grocery store open, or successfully lobbied the city to buy the former Normal School building from the Ontario government.

But Wortley Village won’t be the only Forest City community with bragging rights.

Last year, the tiny neighbourhood of Woodfield, located on the edge of downtown, took home a people’s-choice award after getting edged out for the title of best neighbourhood in Canada by Winnipeg’s Osborne Village.

Wortley Village is facing off against communities like St. Jacobs, near Waterloo, and Cookstown, outside Toronto.

For online voting, visit www.cip-icu.ca/greatplaces.

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OLD SOUTH/WORTLEY VILLAGE

Originally a suburb of London, annexed to London in 1890.

Homes range from cottages and ranches to mansions

Old South Community Organization formed in 1974

20-minute walk from core

THE COMPETITION