[1] It lies to the west of Bronson Avenue, east of the O-Train Trillium Line, north of Carling Avenue, and south of Nanny Goat Hill, which is an escarpment to the north of Somerset Street West.

Centretown West is composed largely of low-density residential commercial properties, and some light industrial uses.

Somerset Street West is dominated by Chinese and Vietnamese businesses, and it is considered to be Ottawa's Chinatown.

It also retains a large Italian-Canadian population in Little Italy centred on Preston Street, which is also called "Corso Italia".

A portion of Gladstone Avenue is also called "Via Marconi", after the Italian inventor who completed some of his work in Canada.