Barrio Italia is the neighbourhood that has changed most dramatically in recent years, transforming from a slightly run-down furniture and antiques district into the city's most dynamic creative quarter. The streets around Avenida Italia in the commune of Ñuñoa are now dense with coffee roasters, design studios, independent restaurants, and concept stores, alongside the antique dealers and vintage furniture shops that gave the area its original character.
The neighbourhood draws a younger, more creative crowd than Lastarria and is less self-consciously stylish as a result. Weekend afternoons see the streets fill with Santiaguinos hunting for second-hand goods, reading on café terraces, or cycling between restaurants. The Espacio Rojo and several gallery spaces add cultural weight. The area is best explored on foot from Plaza Italia (Baquedano metro station) heading east.