The Bronx has given us hip-hop (the musical genre was born here), history’s biggest sports star (Babe Ruth clobbered home runs here) and countless leaders (Sonia Sotomayor, for example, grew up here). Today, the borough is more colorful than ever. Visitors can taste the authentic Italian flavor of Arthur Avenue; experience gorgeous views from Wave Hill, where Mark Twain and Theodore Roosevelt once lived; or tour Yankee Stadium. Winter is also a great time to see all manner of flora and fauna at the New York Botanical Garden and the Bronx Zoo.
BRONX BOTANICAL GARDEN
Just one of the world’s best gardens. For a casual fan of trees and flowers, a trip to New York Botanical Garden Bronx might just be the thing to launch you into the ‘plant lover’ category. Either way, the Garden is so exquisite that it tends to be consistently found on even the savviest New Yorker’s suggested itinerary.
Bronx River Parkway at Fordham Road. Bronx
Closed on Monday
By Subway: Take the B, D, or 4 train to Bedford Park Blvd Station. From the station exit:
• Take the Bx 26 bus east to the Garden’s Mosholu Gate entrance.
• OR walk eight blocks down the hill on Bedford Park Blvd to the end (approximately 20 minutes). Turn left onto Kazimiroff Blvd and walk one block to Mosholu Gate entrance.
BRONX ZOO
The Bronx Zoo of the Wildlife Conservation Society is the premier place to study and appreciate many of the world’s creatures. Home to more than 6,000 animals, the zoo spans 265 acres that re-create the diverse natural habitats of its numerous residents, from the gorillas of the Congo to the snow leopards of the Himalayas.
Open Daily 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Wednesday is a suggested donation day
2300 Southern Blvd. Bronx
By subway: 2, 5 to East Tremont Ave./West Farms Sq. At street level, walk straight ahead (follow train uptown) on Boston Road 21⁄2 blocks to the Zoo’s Asia gate entrance (Gate A).
LITTLE ITALY
You’ll need two things to have a great time in the Bronx’s Little Italy: comfortable shoes and an empty stomach. Centered on the intersection of 187th Street and Arthur Avenue—a quick walk from B and the D trains at 182nd and 183rd Streets or the Fordham Metro North station—this area is lauded by some enthusiastic fans as the tastiest few blocks in New York City.
This old-world Italian restaurant row is packed with fresh bread, cured meats, espresso and pizza pies. Even the Belmont Public Library stands out as uniquely Italian—it contains the Enrico Fermi Cultural Center, a sort of mini-museum of Italian-American heritage. Arthur Avenue’s close-knit feel and character endure because many residents and their families have lived here for years.
The film A Bronx Tale—directed by Robert De Niro and written by Chazz Palminteri—took place in Belmont, and the film’s creators are just two of the many admirers from across town and across the globe who love Arthur Avenue’s distinct culinary and cultural flavors.
Recommended Italian restaurants:
• Mario’s Restaurant: 2342 Arthur Ave. nr. 184th St. Price: $10-$30
• Zero Otto Nove: 2357 Arthur Ave., nr. E. 186th St. Price: $10-$30
Directions:
• Take Train (Metro-North Railroad) 539 towards Grand Central Terminal – North White Plains at “Harlem-125th” station and get off at “Tremont” station (9 mins, 3 stops). Walk east Fordham Road till Arthur Avenue (10 min aprox)
• Take D subway towards 205th street and get off at “Fordham Road” station. Head east on E 188th St toward Valentine Ave, turn right at 3rd Ave, turn left at E 187th St and turn right at Arthur Ave. 40 min aprox.
YANKEE STADIUM
The new home of the New York Yankees measures a mile in circumference, and the venue is practically a self-contained city. In addition to the baseball diamond at its heart, the Yankee homestead boasts a museum, a martini bar and a Mohegan Sun Sports Bar. Rounding out the roster are NYY Steak and Hard Rock Cafe, 56 luxury suites, 410 party suites and more. Many places in the stadium are open year-round (even when the Yankees aren’t playing), and the setting makes an unforgettable backdrop for business and social functions.
1 E. 161st Street (at River Ave.) Bronx
By subway: 4, B, D to 161st St./Yankee Stadium
VAN CORTLANDT PARK
The 1,000-acre green space is the fourth largest park in the city and offers live concerts, horseback riding, an outdoor pool, hiking and cross-country trails, a historic house museum and two public golf courses.
Broadway at 242nd St Bronx
By subway: Take 1 train and get off at Van Cortlandt Park – 242 St
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