bronx little italy

You are not alone in missing out on all Bronx Little Italy has to offer.  The country and for that matter most New Yorkers outside of the Bronx know very little of the Bronx on a positive note except for the iconic Yankee Stadium, the Bronx Zoo, and the New York Botanical Gardens.  This is principally because of the negativity promoted by the media such as the 70s infamous quote “the Bronx is burning” credited to the legendary sports broadcaster Howard Cosell.  According to the New York Post article dated May 16, 2010, “Why the Bronx burned”, written by Joe Flood, Mr. Howard Cosell never said it.  Mr. Flood writes that Mr. Gordon Greisman, who co-wrote and produced the ESPN mini-series of the same name, “the Bronx is burning”, said that Mr. Cosell never said it, but it did pick up steam in spreading the negativity because of Mr. Cosell’s fame.  What most people do not know about that time was that it was not just the South Bronx that was burning during the 70s but also Brooklyn’s Brownsville, Bushwick, and Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhoods, and Manhattan’s Harlem and Lower East Side.  More importantly, it was not the hoodlums that were responsible for the Bronx burning but it was the bureaucrats, organize crime, landlords, and the insurance industry.  Specifically, Mayor John Lindsay is the bureaucrat to blame.  In 1971 Mayor Lindsay asked Chief John O’Hagan, of the Fire Department of New York, to close some 13 fire houses in order to save a few million dollars to help balance the budget.  What’s suspicious about that request is that many of the closings were in fire prone areas of the South Bronx which greatly contributed to the increase in fire incidents.

According to the Village Voice article “Arson for Hire”, dated June 2, 1980, by Joe Conason & Jack Newfield, another known contributor to the “the Bronx is burning” image was an arson ring of landlords, lawyers, brokers, and insurance adjusters.  A pattern of arson was eventually uncovered that led to a network of landlords whose buildings were insured for large amounts, more than what the buildings were worth, creating a moral hazard enticing landlords to burn their buildings for the insurance proceeds.  How could landlords purchase policies worth hundreds of thousands of dollars more than the actual purchase price or assessed value of their buildings?  Because at the time the insurance industry simply passed on the cost by increasing premiums and did nothing to amend the policies to discourage the practice until some years later.  This aspect of the era did not receive as much attention from the media.

Fire fatalities in New York City doubled in the 1970s, as President Jimmy Carter, Mayor John Lindsay and Fire Chief John O’Hagan faced a disaster of the government’s own making, a new book claims

I have lived in The Bronx practically all of my life. In all that time I have always felt that many of my fellow New York City homies have missed out on a truly New York experience; Bronx Little Italy.  According to baruch.cuny.edu/nycdata/, there are 329 recognized neighborhoods in New York City and the Bronx has 56 of those neighborhoods.  Of those 329 neighborhoods, I believe Bronx Little Italy simply has the most to offer as a place to visit outside of the financial district and the renowned landmarks of Manhattan.  However, it’s been my experience that in a great many conversations about the places to visit in this city that I have been privy to, I feel all too often Bronx Little Italy gets overlooked.  Why is that?  You need a bit of a history lesson to understand why.

According to yesthebronx.org/about/history-of-the-bronx, Jonas Bronck was the first European to settle in the Bronx in 1639, when he established a farm along the Harlem River in the Mott Haven section.

25-Story Apartment Building at 198 East 135th Street, Mott Haven

The next big historical event was in 1898, when the City of New York was created by combining the five boroughs.  The New York City Subway made it possible for thousands of immigrants to move to the Bronx.  These included the Irish, Italians, and Jews.  Next French, German, and Polish immigrants moved into the borough.  During prohibition, Irish and Italian bootleggers and gangs ran rampant in the Bronx smuggling illegal whiskey and by 1926 the Bronx became infamous for its high crime rate and for its many places that served illegal alcoholic drinks.  From the 1930s thru 1960s a great many of these people moved to the suburbs and other states with Hispanics and African Americans remaining in the southeastern and northwestern parts.  Hispanic and African Americans now make up a significant portion of the population.

The fact of the matter is that within its 42.10 square miles the Bronx has much more to offer in the way of positive attractions such as the historical Edgar Allen Poe Cottage on the corner of Kingsbridge and the Grand Concourse.  According to the Bronx County Historical Society, Poe lived in this little cottage from 1846 to 1849.  It was here that Poe created many of his best works such as “Annabel Lee,” “The Bells” and “The Cask of Amontillado.”  Tours are available.  And it is a short walk from the Bronx Zoo, the New York Botanical Gardens, and Bronx Little Italy.  Yankee Stadium is a short cab ride away.

Edgar Allen Poe Cottage

2016 marks the 125th Anniversary of The New York Botanical Garden.

Bronx Little Italy is sometimes referred to as Belmont, or by the main street called Arthur Avenue which intersects East 187^th Street.  Both Arthur Avenue and 187^th Street are filled with restaurants, pizzerias, meat and fish market, bakeries and pastry stores.

The food is well prepared and primarily Italian-American influence by Neapolitan and Sicilian dishes.  No other neighborhood in New York City offers the amount of choices of fine Italian-American foods.  The quality and value rated as “Best Buy” repeatedly by the Zagat Survey.  Take Mario’s Restaurant on Arthur Avenue.  It is considered one of New York City’s iconic restaurants.  Mario’s has been in business for 92 years with five generations of family managing the restaurant.  Occasionally you will catch a sports figure or movie star.  Although many of the first Italian families have moved out, according to  http://www.bronxlittleitaly.com/about-our-neighborhood/ the grandchildren, and great-grandchildren continue to run the family business helping to maintain the neighborhoods unique Italian tradition.  For instance, walk down the street and you’ll catch sight of Italian sausages hanging from the window like in the old days, or someone cooking up what we Hispanics call pernil or pork.

Italian sausages hanging from the window

There are also some interesting events that are coming up that you might want to consider checking out highlighted at the Bronx Little Italy website.  For instance, on June 11^th from 11am to 4pm, on East 186^th Street, there will be the Bronx Little Italy’s Second Annual Art Show.  Also, for over 15 years now the neighborhood has been celebrating the Ferragosto on September 11th.  This festival recognizes the end of the harvest season. It is a way for families to engage in part of the Italian culture and coming together with family and friends.  As the neighborhood has a strong Catholic presence, you might want to check out the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on December 3^rd.  Around this time, you may also want to check out one of the most amazing displays in the city; the Bronx Christmas House.  It is located at the corner of Pelham Parkway North and Westervelt Avenue.  The owners flip the switch around Thanksgiving and turn it off around January 6th.  According to a NY Times article of 2008, the Garabedian family started the display in 1974 after the family experience a miracle.  This is how the family shows their appreciation to the Lord.  No detail is provided about the miracle.  There is a video on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3-8D4Pm-xg.

Bronx Christmas House

You may also want to schedule for next year a visit to the 12^th Annual Cinco De Mayo Celebration.  This is not a typo.  To add more variety to the neighborhood, The Belmont District Management Association has promoted other ethnic restaurants such as authentic Mexican food.  Next year there will also be the Bronx Little Italy’s third annual car show on May 1^st.

Well, New York City homies, this ends my promotion of Bronx Little Italy.  I hope I have been able to give you a good feel for the atmosphere via the written word.  Of course, the only way to experience it is to actually visit the neighborhood yourself with friends and family and taste and see what it has to offer.  While there make a day of it and visit the iconic Yankee Stadium, the Bronx Zoo, and the New York Botanical Gardens.  Or take in one of festivals the neighborhood has to offer.  After all it is only a subway ride away from Manhattan.  I promise that if you do visit you too will agree that Bronx Little Italy is truly another jewel this great city of ours has to offer.