Arthur Avenue in the Bronx

Arthur Avenue in the Bronx is New York's "real" Little Italy. I do enjoy Manhattan's tourist-infested Little Italy but I love coming here (also known as Belmont), where people drink cawfee and tawk like real old-school New Yawk'is.  I usually combine Arthur Avenue whenever I visit the New York Botanical Garden. Arthur Avenue is about a 20-25 minute walk from the nearest subway, so it's not easy to get to. Have a Bronx car service number on hand just in case.

Start at the Arthur Avenue Retail Market (2330 Arthur Avenue), a true Italian food lovers' paradise and a great lunch stop--there's bread, pasta, fish, fruit, sandwiches (one of the best sandwiches I've had in NYC was at Cafe al Mercato in the market), coffee, meats, cheese, and more.  Take note of the characters behind the counter-guaranteed to be jovial and real Italian New Yorkers.

Cafe Al Mercato in the Retail Market

Arthur Avenue Retail Market

Other famous restaurants include Giovanni's, Mario's, and Ann & Tony's. There are Italian bakeries lining the street, where you can pick up biscotti or a cannoli.

Giovanni's

Ann & Tony's

BiscottiArthur Avenue has Hollywood heritage too--Joe Pesci was running a restaurant here when DeNiro and Scorcese cast him in Raging Bull. Frank Sinatra was a regular visitor.  And Mario Batali is a huge fan of Arthur Avenue. In this video about his favorite New York spots, he says "For the Italians looking for a more Italian experience, Arthur Avenue in the Bronx is one of the most spectacular places. One of my favorite restaurants is a place called Mario's, just simple, southern Italian done as someone has done it for 80, 90 years.

{GO!} Christmas in NYC: Holiday Train Show at the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx

The Metropolitan Museum of ArtThe Holiday Train Show at the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx is one of the most memorable things I've EVER done in New York, and I plan on making it a yearly tradition.  It is the perfect Christmas activity for all ages, from small children who will love the model trains zipping around to adults that will appreciate the replicas of NYC landmarks.

Here's the kicker: the replicas are made of plant items like bark, leaves, pine cones, and nuts. There is an exhibit that shows how much work goes into each piece.

The creation processThe show takes place in the garden's beautiful Haupt Conservatory, a Victorian glasshouse, and runs through January 16, 2012, so if you have a chance, get thyself to the Bronx to see it before it closes for the year.

Haupt ConservatoryGo early if you go on the weekends (our timed tickets were for 11 a.m. and we got out just as the hordes started coming), and make sure to stop by their well-curated gift shop on the way out.

I knew to expect famous buildings like the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and the Brooklyn Bridge but was blown away by precious buildings that have been torn down, like the old Penn Station and glorious old Fifth Avenue mansions and townhouses.  I've studied a lot about the (awful! criminal!) decision to tear down Penn Station and the preservation laws that came out of the rubble in the 1960s. My heart skipped a beat when I saw this replica-can you BELIEVE they tore this down compared to what Penn Station looks like today?!

The old, destroyed Penn StationEllis Island & the Statue of LibertyYankee Stadium

The Brooklyn BridgeThe Guggenheim MuseumAnd of course, I have a soft spot for Washington Square arch-the center of my neighborhood!

Washington Square Park Arch