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Whether you’re relaxing at a ball game, indulging in fresh mozzarella and cannoli on Arthur Avenue, or scoping out exotic species at the zoo, there’s plenty of fun to be had here. Named for the area’s first documented European settler, Jonas Bronck, the Bronx is often the city’s most misunderstood borough. Its reputation as a gritty, down-and-out place is a little outdated, and there’s lots of beauty if you know where to look. There is more parkland in the Bronx than in any other borough, as well as one of the world’s finest botanical collections, the largest metropolitan zoo in the country, and, of course, Yankee Stadium.
Top Attractions
Fodor’s Choice |
Bronx Zoo.
When it opened its gates in 1899, the Bronx Zoo had less than 800 animals. But today, with 265 acres and more than 10,000 animals (representing 700-plus species), it’s the largest metropolitan zoo in the United States. Get up close and personal with exotic creatures in outdoor settings that re-create natural habitats; you’re often separated from them by no more than a moat or wall of glass. Don’t miss the Congo Gorilla Forest,
a 6½-acre re-creation of a lush African rain forest with two troops of western lowland gorillas, as well as mandrills, okapis, and red river hogs. At Tiger Mountain
an open viewing shelter lets you get incredibly close to Siberian tigers, who frolic in a pool and lounge outside (even in cold weather). As the big cats are often napping at midday, aim to visit in the morning or evening. In the $62 million exhibit Madagascar!
, the formality of the old Lion House has been replaced with a verdant re-creation of one of the most threatened natural habitats in the world. Here you see adorable lemurs and far-from-adorable hissing cockroaches.
Go on a mini-safari via the Wild Asia Monorail, May through October, weather permitting. As you wend your way through the forest, see Asian elephants, Indo-Chinese tigers, Indian rhinoceroses, gaur (the world’s largest cattle), Mongolian wild horses, and several deer and antelope species. Try to visit the most popular exhibits, such as Congo Gorilla Forest, early to avoid lines later in the day. In winter the outdoor exhibitions have fewer animals on view, but there are also fewer crowds, and plenty of indoor exhibits to savor. Also note that there is an extra charge for some exhibits. If you want to see everything, you’ll save money by purchasing the Total Experience ticket. | 2300 Southern Blvd., near 187th St. , Belmont | 718/220–5100 | www.bronxzoo.com | General admission $16.95–$19.95 (extra charge for some exhibits); Total Experience $23.95–$33.95; free entry Wed. ($15 suggested donation; some attractions extra) | Apr.–Oct., weekdays 10–5, weekends and holidays 10–5:30; Nov.–Mar., daily 10–4:30. Last entry to exhibits is 30 mins before closing | Check website for seasonal discounts available when purchasing tickets online. Parking $16 | Station: 2, 5 to Pelham Pkwy. or BxM11 express bus to Bronx River entrance .
Fodor’s Choice |
New York Botanical Garden.
Considered one of the leading botany centers in the world, this 250-acre garden is one of the best reasons to make a trip to the Bronx. Built around the dramatic gorge of the Bronx River, the Garden is home to lush indoor and outdoor gardens and acres of natural forest, and offers classes, concerts, and special exhibits. Be astounded by the captivating fragrance of the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden’s 4,000 plants of more than 650 varieties; see intricate orchids that look like the stuff of science fiction; relax in the quiet of the forest or the calm of the Conservatory; or take a jaunt through the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden: a 12-acre, indoor-outdoor museum with a boulder maze, giant animal topiaries, and a plant discovery center.
The Garden’s roses bloom in June and September, but there’s plenty to see year-round. The Victorian-style Enid A. Haupt Conservatory houses re-creations of misty tropical rain forests and arid African and North American deserts, as well as exhibitions such as the annual Holiday Train Show and Orchid Show. The All-Garden Pass gives you access to the Conservatory, Rock Garden (Apr.–Oct.), tram tour, Everett Children’s Adventure Garden, and other special exhibitions. | 2900 Southern Blvd. , Belmont | 718/817–8700 | www.nybg.org | All-Garden Pass $20–$30. Grounds only admission is free Sat. 9–10 and all day Wed. (available otherwise only to NYC residents for $13) | Tues.–Sun. 10–6 (mid-Jan.–Feb. 10–5); some holiday Mon. 10–6 (check online) | Parking $15 | Station: B, D to Bedford Park Blvd.; 4 to Bedford Park Blvd.–Lehman College; then walk about 8 blocks downhill to the Garden (or take the Bx26 bus). Metro-North (Harlem local line) to Botanical Garden .
Fodor’s Choice |
Yankee Stadium.
See the “Bronx Bombers” in action at their 2009-debuted, $1.5 billion Yankee Stadium (set right across the street from the site of the original stadium, aka “the House that Ruth Built”), which got off to a good start, with the Yankees winning the World Series in its inaugural year. Tickets can be pricey, but the experience is like watching baseball in a modern-day coliseum. It’s quite opulent: a traditional white frieze adorns the stadium’s top; inside, limestone-and-marble hallways are lined with photos of past Yankee greats; lower-level seats have cushions, cup holders, and easy access to a boffo “meatery,” NYY Steak. History buffs and hard-core fans should visit the Yankees Museum (set on the main level and open till the end of the eighth inning), filled with historical team memorabilia, and Monument Park (closes 45 minutes prior to first pitch), with plaques of past Yankee legends, by center field. TIP
Pregame and off-season one-hour stadium tours are held on a near-daily basis year-round; visit the Yankees website for more info on times and ticketing.
| 1 E. 161st St., at River Ave.
,
| Bronx
| 718/293–4300
|
newyork.yankees.mlb.com
| Baseball season runs Apr.–Oct.
| Station:
4, B, D to 161st St.–Yankee Stadium
.
Worth Noting
Arthur Avenue (Belmont).
Manhattan’s Little Italy is sadly overrun with mediocre restaurants aimed at tourists, but Belmont, the Little Italy of the Bronx, is a real, thriving Italian-American community. Unless you have family in the area, the main reason to come here is for the food: eating it, buying it, looking at it fondly through windows, and chatting with shopkeepers so you can get recipe advice.
Nearly a century after pushcarts on Arthur Avenue catered to Italian-American workers constructing the zoo and Botanical Garden, the area teems with meat markets, bakeries, cheese makers, and shops selling kitchenware (espresso machines, pasta makers, etc.). There are long debates about which store or restaurant is the “best,” but thanks to generations of Italian grandmothers, vendors here don’t dare serve anything less than superfresh, handmade foods.
Although the area is no longer solely Italian—many Latinos and Albanians share this neighborhood now—Italians dominate the food scene. The covered Arthur Avenue Retail Market is a terrific starting point. It houses some dozen vendors. Regulars mostly shop on Saturday afternoon; many stores are shuttered on Sunday and after 5 pm. | Arthur Ave. between Crescent Ave./184th St. and 188th St., and 187th St. between Lorillard Pl. and Cambreleng Ave. , Belmont | www.bronxlittleitaly.com | Station: 4, B, D to Fordham Rd., then it’s about a 15-min walk (or take Bx12 bus) .
Quick Bite:
Artuso Pastry.
Step inside this neighborhood mainstay near Arthur Avenue for a drool-worthy selection of cakes, cookies, and pastries, including the signature cannolis. Artuso’s has been run by the same Italian-American family for nearly 70 years, and the impassioned proprietors and community feel only add flavor to the shop’s outstanding selection of sweets. | 670 E. 187th St., at Cambreleng Ave.
,
Belmont
| 718/367–2515
|
artusopastry.com
| Station:
4, B, D to Fordham Rd., walk 15 mins east
.
Edgar Allan Poe Cottage.
The beloved American poet-writer’s legacy is detailed at this historic house museum, tucked into a bustling section of the Bronx. The small farmhouse, dating to 1812, housed Poe, his young, ailing wife, Virginia, and his mother-in-law during the last years of his life from 1846 to 1849. Rooms are filled with reproduction period pieces, as well as a handful of personal effects that may have inspired the enduring poems Poe wrote here, like “Annabel Lee” and “The Bells.” The surrounding green space in Poe Park lends well to the transporting back-in-time feel of a visit here. Audio and guided tours are included with admission. | 2640 Grand Concourse, at East Kingsbridge Rd.
,
| Bronx
| 718/881–8900
|
bronxhistoricalsociety.org/poe-cottage
| $5
| Thurs. and Fri. 10–3, Sat. 10–4, Sun. 1–5
| Station:
4, B, D to Kingsbridge Rd.
Off the Beaten Path:
Wave Hill.
Drawn by stunning views of the Hudson River and New Jersey’s dramatic Palisades cliffs, 19th-century Manhattan millionaires built summer homes in the Bronx neighborhood of Riverdale. One of the most magnificent, Wave Hill, is today a 28-acre public garden and cultural center that attracts visitors from all over the world. Along with exquisite gardens, grand beech and oak trees tower above wide lawns, while an elegant pergola overlooks the majestic river view, and benches on curving pathways provide quiet respite. Open year-round, Wave Hill House (1843) and Glyndor House (1927) host art exhibitions, Sunday concerts, wellness-minded activities, and gardening workshops. Even England’s Queen Mother stayed here during a visit, back when the estate was privately owned (it’s no longer open to overnight guests). It’s worth the schlep. | W. 249th St., at Independence Ave.
,
Riverdale
| 718/549–3200
|
www.wavehill.org
| $8 (free Tues. and Sat. 9–noon)
| Mid-Mar.–Oct., Tues.–Sun. 9–5:30; Nov.–mid-Mar., Tues.–Sun. 9–4:30; closed Mon. except select holidays. Free garden tours Sun. at 2
| Parking $8
| Station:
1 to Van Cortlandt Park–242nd St. (free hourly shuttle service between 9:10 am and 3:10 pm); A to Inwood–207th St., then Bx7 or Bx20 bus to W. 252nd St.