Bronx, New York guide

Beyond the Harlem River, New York’s only mainland borough bristles with urban energy. Hip-hop and salsa both began here, and you’ll still find boisterous music on its Art Deco streets. But serenity calls in its waterfront parks. From America’s first zoo and the world’s first baseball stadium to the cottage home of Edgar Allen Poe, our Bronx travel guide covers plenty of history too.

Bronx highlights

Seafood detour

For a taste of New England in New York, cross the bridge to City Island. Its quaint fishing village is one of the best places in New York to eat seafood. As well as a 2.4-kilometre strip of family restaurants, you’ll find a free museum celebrating the community’s seafaring history and the city’s only waterfront cemetery.

Great outdoors

You’ll find some of the city’s greatest green spaces in the Bronx — including its largest park, located at Pelham Bay. With 21 kilometres of shoreline, it’s as famed for its fishing as its woodlands. Plant lovers will adore the botanical gardens and the arboretum at Woodlawn Cemetery. Catch riverside views at Wave Hill, or head to Van Cortlandt Park to visit the oldest golf course in the US.

Home of hip-hop

Take a trip to the South Bronx, where hip-hop was born. Musician-led tours can help you find local landmarks — the streets where DJs hosted their famous block parties and the corners where breakdancers and rappers battled it out. The Bronx Walk of Fame on the Grand Concourse honours pioneers like Grandmaster Flash.

Things to do in Bronx

Beaches

New York’s only man-made beach, Orchard Beach, was built in the 1930s. Its iconic modernist bathhouse is undergoing a major renovation, and the promenade is lined with shops and restaurants. You can swim from May to September, but the water is warmest in August. Families flock here for the playgrounds, picnic areas and volleyball courts.

Museums and culture

The local art scene is more about graffiti than galleries. Colourful tags adorn walls, warehouses and subway trains from Whitlock Avenue to Hunts Point. And the Big Pun Memorial Mural on Rogers Place gets repainted each year on the rapper’s birthday. Museums in the Bronx include the Bronx Museum of the Arts, whose exhibitions celebrate the neighbourhood’s diverse artists.

Restaurants

From pizza to panini, pasta to antipasti, the borough’s Little Italy has it all. Some of the best restaurants in the Bronx are Belmont’s great-value tavernas and delis. Head to the historic Arthur Avenue Retail Market for traditional meats, cheeses and more. Latin and soul food are popular throughout the Bronx, from hole-in-the-wall joints to high-concept fusion menus.

Nightlife

Local breweries have boomed in recent years, making this the perfect place for a beer crawl. The alehouses and beer halls have entertainment to accompany your frothy pint, from trivia nights and board games to live music and karaoke. Or check out Woodlawn’s old Irish pubs. On 161st Street, game day specials and happy hours keep Yankee fans busy.

Shopping

On Fordham Road between Webster and Jerome Avenues, you’ll find hundreds of shops, from major retailers to family-owned businesses. Its night market adds a soundtrack of live music to the community vibe between April and November. In the 1930s, The Bronx Terminal Market sold fruit and veggies, but now it’s a popular mall. Don’t miss Casa Amadeo, one of New York’s oldest music stores.

Events

The Bronx’s diverse communities host a number of parties, including September’s African Heritage Festival and October’s Puerto Rican Parade. The Hunts Point Fish Parade in June draws big summer crowds with its river-themed puppets. And for 30 years, hundreds have been taking part in the autumn Tour de Bronx, the largest free cycling event in New York state.

Restaurants

From pizza to panini, pasta to antipasti, the borough’s Little Italy has it all. Some of the best restaurants in the Bronx are Belmont’s great-value tavernas and delis. Head to the historic Arthur Avenue Retail Market for traditional meats, cheeses and more. Latin and soul food are popular throughout the Bronx, from hole-in-the-wall joints to high-concept fusion menus.

FAQs about Bronx holidays

Most hotels are clustered around Yankee Stadium in the South Bronx. You’ll find plenty of familiar chains as well as a luxury boutique in a former opera house where Harry Houdini and The Marx Brothers once performed.
Yankee Stadium, built in 1923, was home to baseball’s legendary player, Babe Ruth. You’ll catch the famous New York Yankees there from April to September. Or dance down the ‘Joker’ stairs, made famous by the 2019 movie.
This is a borough known for a gritty history. But the reality isn’t as bad as the reputation. Still, you’ll want to be vigilant. Ask the locals about areas to avoid, and use taxis after dark.