The Bronx, New York: Things to See, Do and Eat

Known worldwide, the Bronx Zoo is one of the largest zoos in the world and the biggest metropolitan zoo in the States. Covering 250 acres of Bronx Park, the Bronx Zoo opened in 1899 and today provides home to 4,000 animals from more than 650 species.

Managed by the Wildlife Conservation Society, the zoo includes a range of naturalistic habits with the Bronx River flowing through. There are several NYC landmarks in the zoo, such as the Rainey Gate entrance off Fordham Road and Astor Court at Zoo Center. The Rockefeller Fountain was donated to the Zoological Society in 1903 by William Rockefeller. The zoo is not only a popular spot for visitors and animal lovers of all ages, but also has a worldwide reputation for animal conservation and captive breeding.

2300 Southern Blvd, Bronx, NY 10460

The Van Cortlandt House Museum is the oldest building in the Bronx, New York City. Located in today’s Van Cortlandt Park, the Georgian-style house was built in 1748 for Frederick Van Cortlandt and his family. The two and a half story L-shaped house has a double hipped roof and was built of dressed fieldstone.

It is considered to be one of the finest examples of the Georgian-style stone houses in the country. During the Revolutionary War, the house was used by Lafayette, Rochambeau, and Washington. The house was sold to the City of New York in 1889, and the property was converted into a public parkland. In 1897, the house was converted to a historic house museum and listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Address: The Van Cortlandt House Museum, 246th Street and Broadway, Van Cortlandt Park, Bronx, NY 10471

The Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum is a magnificent historic house museum located in the quiet part of Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx, New York City. With one of the finest Greek revival interiors in the country, the spectacular home is the last still standing major mid-19th century country estate mansion in the area, which was once the location of more than 20 grand estates. The house is standing on the location of a Federal-style home built in 1654 for Robert and Maria Lorillard Bartow. The current house, completed in 1842, was owned by the Pella and the Bartow families until 1888, when it was sold to the City of New York. The house, filled with lavish mid-19th century furnishings and decorative arts, is now open to the public for tours, which include the beautifully landscaped formal terraced gardens behind the house.

Address: Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum, 895 Shore Rd, Pelham Bay Park, Bronx, NY 10464-1030

A cultural and economic heart of Bronx and New York, the Belmont area of Bronx, known as Bronx Little Italy, is a vibrant center of authentic Italian culture and a thriving business district. It attracts thousands of tourists every year for its superb restaurants, artisanal food stores, and specialty stores that sell local handmade and imported items not easily found anywhere else.

Developed in the early days of the nation, Bronx Little Italy has an Old World vibe created by generations of Italian-American families that settled in it, combining a European small town feel with a modern urban setting. Some of the area’s most famous residents were Joe Pesci, Anne Bancroft, Chazz Palminteri, and Robert de Niro.

Activities and Attractions for Couples and Singles:

Located at the very edge of new York City, just beyond Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx and surrounded by the Long Island Sound and Eastchester Bay, City Island is a small community famous for its rich nautical history. Much of that history has been preserved by the Historical Society in the Nautical Museum.

The museum occupies the top floor of a historical former elementary school located on land that was once a Revolutionary War graveyard. The museum houses a rich collection of photos and artifacts on City Island and its rich boating history, such as ship sails, model boats, and a range of America’s Cup memorabilia.

Address: City Island Nautical Museum, 190 Fordham St, Bronx, NY 10464, Phone: 718-885-0008

Opened in 1902, the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory is a beloved New York City landmark and a vital part of the New York Botanical Garden in Bronx. The magnificent Victorian glass greenhouse was created after Nathaniel Lord Britton and his wife Elizabeth visited the Royal Botanic Garden at Kew in the UK and saw the fragile beauty of its glasshouse artistry. The conservatory today houses the World of Plants exhibition, with the garden’s large collections of tropical rain forests plants, deserts filled with blooming cacti, palms from all over the world, carnivorous and aquatic plants, and much more. The conservatory’s open air courtyards are filled with water lilies and lotus during the warm summer months. The conservatory hosts popular seasonal exhibitions such as an annual orchid show, the Holiday Train Show, and a number of fascinating themed flower shows that attract thousands of visitors.

Address: Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, Haupt Conservatory, Bronx Park Rd, Bronx, NY 10458, Phone: 718-817-8700

What to do if you are traveling with kids:

The Everett Children's Adventure Garden is a true kids’ wonderland, an indoor-outdoor plant museum and a playground that offers children endless opportunities not only to have fun but also to learn about the natural world through a hands-on exploration of the wonders of science and nature.

When it was opened in 1998, the garden was the first plant museum for children of its kind in the United States. The garden includes such areas as boulder mazes, more than 40 nature-discovery activities, trails, topiaries, galleries, a picnic area, plazas, and more. The outdoor galleries provide a look at plant lifecycles, what plants are made of, what ecosystems are, how plants and animals interact, and how the sun makes plants grow. There are also boulders to climb, Beth’s Maze to wander through, and Plant Part Paradise, where kids can make their own plants.

Address: Everett Children's Adventure Garden, Bronx, NY 10458, Phone: 718-817-8700

Hush stands for “Us in Hip Hop.” It is an unique travel agency that provides exclusive cultural tours of New York City, doing for hip hop what Graceland does for country music or the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame does for rock and roll.

Since 2002, Hush has provided an authentic experience exploring the hip hop culture in NYC – its birthplace.

The guides are true hip hop legends; they will take you on an unforgettable trip through the hidden nooks of the city and to places where hip hop greats such as Biggie and Jay-Z grew up. There is a range of tours to choose from: Birthplace of Hip Hop, Where Brooklyn At? Walk This Way Thru Harlem, The Boogie Down Bronx Tour, and others.

Address: Hush Hip Hop Tours, New York, NY, Phone: 212-714-3527

Where to Eat:

Louie & Ernie's Pizza is a homey, small old-school counter-serve spot in the cozy, residential neighborhood in the Bronx, famous for its thin-crust, New York-style pizzas. The iconic pizzeria has been selling pies, whole and slices, since 1959, and their pizzas have been voted the best in Bronx and in the States several times. All they serve in their tiny unpretentious shop are pizzas and calzones, fragrant, hot, juicy, and incredibly tasty. You can eat indoors, there is even a TV on the wall, or on a small patio in the back, and they serve beer and wine as well.

1300 Crosby Ave, Bronx, NY 10461, Phone: 718-829-6230

Mon Amour Coffee and Wine is a French-inspired coffee shop in the Riverdale/Kingsbridge area of the Bronx. Tiny and charming, it is a little corner of Paris in the heart of the Bronx, serving high-quality coffee, espresso, baked goods, flatbreads, and gourmet sandwiches and salads. Everything is made fresh and with high-quality ingredients. Exposed brick walls, small wood tables, padded banquettes, metal chairs, pendant lights, and Old World decorative wall frames all combine to create a cozy, Old World atmosphere. Mon Amour is a great neighborhood spot for a cup of great coffee or a fresh pastry, alone, with friends, or with the grandkids.

Address: Mon Amour Coffee and Wine, 234 W 238th St, Bronx, NY 10463, Phone: 718-708-7804