The Bronx: What to See and Where to Start

The Bronx has several attractions you shouldn't skip just because TV shows and a few rough neighborhoods have given the borough a bad reputation.

More and more travelers are making it out to this authentic corner of New York (the contrasts tour is the quickest, easiest way to see it). Here we'll tell you which places definitely deserve a chance.

What to see in the Bronx

In this borough north of the city you'll find major sights like Yankee Stadium and the Bronx Zoo, but also unexpected ones, like Edgar Allan Poe's cottage or the real Little Italy.

Don't miss these outings, ideal for anyone coming back to New York for a second, third or umpteenth time 😉

1. Yankee Stadium

Yankee Stadium is a state-of-the-art sports venue with a staggering capacity of 53,000.

If you're a baseball fan, take the chance to catch a New York Yankees game while you're in New York.

Another way to see it is on the Contrasts of New York tour.

2. Edgar Allan Poe Cottage

Edgar Allan Poe spent the last years of his life in a small country cottage in the Bronx.

Visiting Poe's cottage is a surprise, since the place keeps its rural feel even though it's now surrounded by the Bronx's typical apartment blocks.

Inside you'll see several of his original pieces of furniture and books, plus plenty about the life of this American writer.

3. The real Little Italy

The Belmont neighborhood is considered New York's real Little Italy.

Decades ago, the original residents of Manhattan's traditional Little Italy moved up to this area, bringing their customs and superb cooking with them.

The streets of Belmont are packed with pizzerias, trattorias, bakeries, and Italian cheese and cured meat shops. It's a treat for the senses.

This is where the owners of New York's most famous Italian restaurants come to buy their ingredients. That alone should tell you how important this neighborhood is when it comes to food.

4. New York Botanical Garden

A Bronx must-see is the New York Botanical Garden. It's close to Belmont, so you can knock out both in one trip.

If you're traveling with kids, you have to go during the Christmas season, when they set up a huge model train show that winds through scale replicas of New York buildings made from leaves, branches and bark from the garden's own plants.

5. Bronx Zoo

The Bronx Zoo is where the characters from Madagascar begin their adventure. It's a perfect stop if you're traveling with kids.

This is the largest zoo in the United States, known for getting rid of cages and creating habitats much closer to the animals' natural ones.

Every day it welcomes thousands of visitors from around the world who come to see the more than 600 species on display.

6. City Island

Another Bronx spot that will surprise you is City Island, which feels more like a New England fishing village than a New York neighborhood.

New Yorkers head to City Island to eat lobster and other seafood. On weekends the restaurants come alive.

7. Fordham University

Very close to the Botanical Garden is Fordham University, a beautiful campus full of green space and shade trees.

The university's architectural gem is the Gothic-style church built in 1845 (441 E Fordham Rd), which looks like it was lifted straight out of a Harry Potter movie or an episode of Downton Abbey.

8. Bronx Museum

If you're into contemporary urban art, visit the Bronx Museum of the Arts. It's free, and its exhibitions focus on street art forms like graffiti.

9. Bronx parks

The Bronx is also home to two of the city's biggest parks: Pelham Bay Park and Van Cortlandt.

If you love nature, check out Wave Hill Public Garden, a set of educational gardens with stunning views of the Hudson River.

Wave Hill is a bit off the usual tourist trail, but if you want something different and a break from New York's noise, head to this oasis.

10. Woodlawn Cemetery

This is the largest cemetery in New York, and it's the final resting place of figures from the city's literary, music and business worlds, among them Herman Melville, Celia Cruz, Duke Ellington and Miles Davis.

They offer trolley tours, but you can also walk it on your own and take in the enormous trees, monuments and sculptures (check the hours on the official site).

Is it safe to visit the Bronx?

The Bronx is the New York borough least set up for tourism, but as we mentioned, that's changing, and there are plenty of fantastic places worth your time.

As long as you stick close to any of the attractions on our list, you won't have any trouble.

The Bronx is huge, so you'll find a mix of residential neighborhoods, working-class ones, and also several of the poorest neighborhoods in New York.

Generally, the middle-class neighborhoods are in the northern part of the borough (Riverdale, Spuyten Duyvil, Woodlawn), along with Belmont, around which several of the main sights are clustered.

Steer clear of New York's poorest neighborhoods, which really aren't a good idea to explore on your own (Morrisania, Mott Haven, Morris Heights).

Other New York attractions

Take a look at what to see in Manhattan, in Brooklyn, in Queens and on Staten Island to round out your New York experience.

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