New York City > The Bronx

The Bronx is the only New York borough on the mainland of the United States. It was originally part of Westchester County but was gradually annexed by New York City. The Bronx was completely incorporated into New York City in 1898. The Bronx has a strong character all its own. It is the birthplace of hip hop music, one of the most important truly American musical genres, and home to one of the country's most storied professional baseball teams, the New York Yankees, also known as the "Bronx Bombers." Many ethnic groups have called the Bronx home over the years. Arthur Avenue is still a center of Italian American culture in New York, and many claim it has a more authentic feel than Manhattan's Little Italy. The South Bronx is a center of Puerto Rican culture and life, with a growing Mexican community as well. University Heights and Morris Heights are largely Dominican neighborhoods. While the southern and central Bronx is mostly comprised of apartment buildings and densely built, the physical environment of the Bronx is much more varied than what is normally portrayed in the popular media. For instance, Riverdale is a residential neighborhood of mostly detatched single family homes located on bluffs overlooking the Hudson River. It looks more like a quiet suburb than the "big bad" Bronx. Bronx Park and Van Cortlandt Park are two large and notably tranquil green spaces. City Island, located in Long Island Sound but officially part of the Bronx reminds people more of a small New England fishing village and is worth a visit. And there is a traditional downtown area called "The Hub" at 149 Street and Third Avenue. While not as large or extensive as the downtowns of major American cities, many larger stores are in that area and it is more than just a neighborhood shopping district. Geographically, the Bronx has a large number of hills. It is possible to stand on a street corner and look way down over a cliff toward the elevated train line that is itself 30 feet above ground. Many streets, especially in the West Bronx north of Yankee Stadium, have sections with steps instead of sidewalks and pavement, similar to San Francisco. The Bronx has a reputation as an area of rundown apartment buildings and high crime that is not entirely undeserved but rather dated. The South Bronx still has problems including relatively high poverty and crime rates, drug activity, abandoned buildings and numerous vacant lots. But all of these problems have waned in recent years, and indeed, as the South Bronx gentrifies, longtime residents are afraid they may soon be priced out of their neighborhood. Remember, too, that the bad reputation of the Bronx has been spread and kept alive mostly by people who do not live there and have never even visited. While you should exercise caution if visiting some of the more troubled neighborhoods, don't take the outsiders' word for it when it comes to the Bronx -- explore it and decide for yourself. Bronx neighborhoods
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