The Bronx in New York

The Bronx in New York has been part of the city since 1874. With slightly fewer residents than Manhattan, it is almost twice the size: 109 square kilometres. Situated in the north of the city, separated from Manhattan by the Harlem River.

The Bronx is home to the Bronx Zoo, the New York Botanical Garden, and Yankee Stadium. It is a bustling borough brimming with diverse cultures.

History of The Bronx

The borough is named after Swedish-born Dutchman Jonas Bronck, who led the first settlement in 1639 as part of the New Netherland colony. In the ’70s the Bronx was almost uninhabitable. High unemployment and poverty gave rise to a lot of crime and drug use.

Iconic Neighbourhoods

The Bronx has a couple of iconic neighbourhoods. Here you’ll find the real Little Italy, no tourists but just a real authentic Italian atmosphere. You can visit many small Italian shops that have great coffee and good food. The Grand Concourse has a couple of beautiful Art Deco-style buildings. The buildings have beautiful decorations inside and out.

There is one infamous neighbourhood that gave the borough its bad reputation: Camp Apache. In the ’70s this was a crime-ridden neighbourhood. Murder, drug abuse and arson were commonplace. This neighbourhood was seen as one of the most dangerous in the world. A lot has changed since then, so it’s safe to visit the Bronx to see what has become of the area of late.

Tour through The Bronx

If you would rather explore The Bronx on a guided tour, you can take a bus tour that combines different boroughs such as Brooklyn, The Queens and The Bronx tour. This seven-hour bus tour allows you to explore the city and see the contrasts between these different boroughs.

Yankee Stadium

The current Yankee Stadium is a renovation of the original Yankee Stadium that was built in 1932 and closed its doors in 2008. In 2009 the New Yankee Stadium opened and is the home to the New York Yankees. The stadium is located in South Bronx. The construction costs of the new stadium were $1.65 billion and the stadium is big enough to seat almost 50.000 people.

Joker Stairs The Bronx

The 2019 movie Joker has added yet another famous location to The Bronx, not far from Yankee Stadium. The Joker Stairs are located between Shakespeare Avenue and Anderson Avenue in the Highbridge neighbourhood. These stairs were used as a filming location in the Oscar-winning crime film. For example, the famous dance scene at the end of the story is filmed here. Since the release of the blockbuster, this place (with zip code NY 10452) has been visited by many film fans. To get there, take subway line 4 and get off at the first stop after Yankee Stadium. Leave the metro station on the left and cross the street at the end. If you walk a little further to the left, you’ll find the stairs in the street behind it.

The Bronx Zoo

In this New York borough, you can find The Bronx Zoo, which is the world’s biggest metropolitan zoo. The zoo accommodates a large selection of animals; from native to the United States to endangered species. There are also areas dedicated to animals from Africa and Asia, amongst others. Though it’s quite far from Manhattan, it’s definitely worth a visit.

New York Botanical Garden

The New York Botanical Garden consists of 50 different gardens, which makes it one of the largest Botanical Gardens in the country. You’ll find here among others the original trees and plants from the founding of New York, which are over two centuries old! There are around one million plant species in this botanic garden. It’s the perfect place if you want a change from the skyscrapers.

Bay Plaza Shopping Center

With more than 140 stores, Bay Plaza is the biggest shopping centre in New York. The mall has three stories and a great variety of stores. For example, there is a Macy’s, Forever 21 and Victoria’s Secret. Next to shopping, there are also a lot of great places to eat and there is an AMC movie theatre to rest your feet after a long day of shopping. There is enough to see and do for everyone!

Dining in The Bronx

The Bronx is very multicultural. This means that there is a lot of different types of food in the Bronx. Louie & Ernie’s Pizza is one of the best restaurants in the Bronx. This is where you can get the ‘real’ New York pizza. People who have tasted their pizzas may feel like it’s the best pizza ever. And if you want something else than dinner, DeLillo Pastry Shop is also a great place in the Bronx to just sit down and have a coffee and slice of cake. The pastries at DeLillo Pastry Shop are so good that you’ll want to take some home with you.

Hotels in The Bronx

Since The Bronx is relatively far from the highlights of New York, it’s not a very convenient place to stay. But if you like to experience the neighbourhood up close, then choose a hotel close to the subway. The green, red and orange lines traverse most of the neighbourhood and bring you to Midtown Manhattan in about half an hour. A nice hotel in The Bronx is the Opera House Hotel. And if you want to stay close to Yankee Stadium, Best Western Plus Stadium Inn is a good option.