A GUIDE TO
ARTHUR AVENUE
The Little Italy of Arthur Avenue is
less well-known to tourists than the
famous Little Italy in lower
Manhattan, but this charming
neighborhood has changed little
over time and has long been a
destination for savvy New
Yorkers in search of an authentic
Italian-American experience.
Where is Arthur Avenue?
Arthur Avenue is in the Belmont area of the Bronx, the
area of New York City that lies on the mainland north
of Manhattan.
It’s Easy to Get to Arthur Avenue
Take the #4 train or the D train to Fordham Road, then
transfer to the eastbound BX12 bus for the short ride to
Arthur Avenue. Alternatively, take the #2 train to Pelham
and transfer to the BX12 bus westbound.
About Arthur Avenue
The Bronx has the distinction of being the only one of the
five boroughs of New York City to be located on the
mainland of the United States. Its recorded history
goes back to 1609 when Hendrick Hudson sought
refuge from a storm in its calm waters. Jonas Bronck,
a sea captain of uncertain origin, but who may have
been Swedish, and his family settled there in 1639.
Legend has it that his visitors would say they are
“going to the Broncks.” The name has remained.
The Belmont area of the Bronx takes its name from the
Lorillard family, whose mansion once stood on the site now
occupied by St. Barnabas Hospital, and was called ”Beautiful
Mountain,” derived from the Latin Belle Mont. There are
pleasures to be found in this “Little Italy of the Bronx.”
Arthur Avenue is a wonderful place to explore at leisure.
Things to See and Do
on Arthur Avenue
1 The Arthur Avenue Retail Market at 2344 Arthur
Avenue was the first enclosed retail market in the Bronx,
and is today an authentic Italian marketplace. The Retail
Market is home to a large number of attention-grabbing
vendors offering a profusion of fresh produce and delightful
2
delicacies as well as hand rolled cigars. Curiously, it is a
place for a leisurely stroll while you delight in its hustle
and bustle.
2 Belmont Regional Library at the corner of East 186th
Street and Hughes Avenue is in the
heart of the “Little Italy of The
Bronx.” Erected in 1981, the
library also houses the Enrico
Fermi Cultural Center
dedicated to the preservation
and dissemination of its unique
collection of Italian cultural
treasures. It is a quiet place for a
moment’s relaxation, and perhaps to browse through its
collection after your stroll along the busy streets.
3 Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church at 627 East 187th
Street was founded in 1906 as an Italian National Parish
Church chartered by Rome to serve all Italian Catholics
residing in the Bronx. Originally a storefront church
serving the Italian immigrants arriving in the community in
great numbers, a basement church was built in 1907, and in
1917 the imposing
upper church was
added. Today, with
the recent influx of
immigrants, the
church has been hard
at work to integrate
the expanding
Mexican and Latin
American population
into the community
by offering services
both in Italian and Spanish. On July 15th of each year, the
Church lights up the streets in celebration of the Festival of
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel.
4 The Madonia Brothers Bakery at 2348 Arthur Avenue
has been in business since 1918. As you enter, seduced by
the enticing window display, you are greeted by the scent of
yeast and baking
bread. To many,
Madonia’s
bread, with its
thick crust and
chewy texture, is
the very best.
The olive and
onion bread are
particular favorites. Former President Bill Clinton and his
wife Hillary on a visit to Arthur Avenue to do a bit of
Christmas shopping returned to Washington with bread
from the bakery. During one such visit Hillary Clinton
noticed the holiday lighting display at the Bronx Zoo. A
special visit was arranged and afterwards all involved
returned to the bakery for a Madonia catered meal.
5 Teitel Brothers at
2372 Arthur Avenue
began selling groceries
in 1915. Jacob and
Morris Teitel who
established the business
came from Austria in
1913 where both were
tailors. Today, after a
truly remarkable change
of merchandising
philosophy, the shop is known for its high quality Italian
Gourmet Specialty items. Their Sicilian olive oil, Don
Luigi brand, has been highly praised. Definitely an “old
fashioned” shop steeped in atmosphere, the shelves are
crammed with a vast array of goodies, including cheeses,
pasta, sausages, and
more. [Greeter’s Secret:
Note the Star of
David in the tiles at
the entrance to the
store. You may
already have guessed
that Teitel is not an
Italian name.]
6 At Casa Della Mozzarella, 604 East 187th Street you
can see mozzarella being made into a variety of shapes, and,
should you inquire, you may be asked to choose between
salted or unsalted, fresh or smoked, small, medium or large.
A good source for anything you may want to put into a
sandwich, it is a friendly and pleasant neighborhood shop.
7 Borgatti’s Ravioli and Egg Noodles at 632 East 187th
Street is one of the notable manufacturers of fresh
handmade pasta. Staffed by family members who will surely
welcome you warmly, you can specify the width you prefer
for the noodles as they cut sheets of pasta to order on a
hand-turned press. The house specialty is fresh ravioli.
Uncle Larry or one of his nieces will gladly spend all day
discussing with you the finer points of boiling water.
8 D’Auria-Murphy Square and Park at East 183d Street
and Crescent Avenue is named after John D’Auria and
3
Henry J. Murphy, two residents of the area killed in
action during World War I. A bust of Christopher
Columbus, originally located on nearby
Bathgate Avenue, sculpted by Attilio Piccirilli
(his name is misspelled on the bust) was relocated
in the park in 1992 by the Belmont Arthur Avenue
LDC. The unveiling ceremony was described as
being like an “Old World religious festival.”
9 The DeLillo Bakery at 606 East 187th Street
was at one time owned by the DeLillo family.
Their son, and noted author Don DeLillo, whose
first novel, Americana, has been critically
acclaimed, writes about America as the “immigrant’s
dream.” You do not have to be an immigrant to appreciate
the shop’s pastries.
10 The Vincent Ciccarone playground between 187th and
188th streets and Hughes and
Arthur Avenues was established in
1934 by Parks Commissioner Robert
Moses. Funds for its construction
stipulated that the playground honor
the memory of a soldier killed in
combat. Interestingly, Vincent
Ciccarone, who succumbed
to wounds in the
Argonne Forest in 1918,
had no connection to the neighborhood.
Weather permitting, you are almost certain to
see some very exciting handball games at the
playground’s handball courts.
11 The Musa Mosque and Center at Arthur
Avenue and 189th Street was built to serve the
growing Albanian Muslim Islamic community in
the area.
There is much more to the Belmont area than
shops and shopping. Three of the city’s major
attractions are just minutes away.
12 Fordham University, founded in 1841 as St.
John’s College, was
purchased by the
Jesuits in 1846.
The College
was established as a university in 1907, and
renamed Fordham University. Its magnificent
Rose Hill campus on Fordham Road is
notable for its many superb gothic buildings.
Legend has it that the inspiration for Edgar
Allen Poe’s poem The Bell, came from seeing the
“Old Edgar” bell in University Church, and that
James Fenimore Cooper, who lived nearby, drew
on the 98 acre University campus as the setting
for his novel, The Spy.
13 New York Botanical Garden. The Garden is at
Fordham Road just a short walk from Arthur
Avenue. You can also get there via the free Bronx
Tour Trolley which you may board at Arthur
Avenue and 187th Street. There are 250 acres of
gorgeous grounds and specialty gardens to explore
as well as the spectacular Enid A. Haupt
Conservatory, New York’s largest glass house, home to a
mesmerizing variety of
plants from around the
world. With so much to
see and discover, there is
little doubt that you will
work up an appetite. You
can satisfy your craving
for food at the Tulip Tree Café or at the Mill Restaurant
overlooking the Bronx River.
14 New York Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx Zoo.
The Zoo is just a short walk from Arthur Avenue.
Or take the BX12 bus to Fordham Road and
Southern Boulevard and then walk 5 blocks
south on Southern Blvd (the Zoo will be on
your left) to the Southern Blvd and 183rd
Street entrance.) The exhibits include more
than 4,000 animals. Outstanding is the Congo
Gorilla Forest where you may exchange glances
with Western lowland gorillas, and the newly-opened
Tiger Mountain, where you can gaze wistfully into
the eyes of a Siberian tiger.
When It’s Time to Eat
Food and Arthur Avenue are inseparable.
Having whetted your appetite with references to
bakeries and specialty shops, it should come as no
surprise to learn that there is no shortage of
restaurants for those visitors seriously interested in
dining on authentic Italian cooking. Mangia bene.
Dominick’s Bar and Restaurant at 2335 Arthur
Avenue is a venerable institution serving hardy
Neapolitan food family style. Menus are
unknown at Dominick’s, and it is very
likely that your tablemates will be
neighborhood residents.
4
Emilia’s at 2331 Arthur Avenue uses old family recipes to
prepare its fine southern Italian recipes which are cooked
to order.
Mario’s Restaurant at 2342 is a place
to feast on any of its outstanding
variety of Neapolitan specialties.
Roberto’s Restaurant, 632 East
186th Street, is an inviting old-style
Italian restaurant offering what is
arguably the very best fresh pasta. If you are a fan of fusilli
this is the place to go.
Web Links
The New York Times feature story on the Belmont
neighborhood and Arthur Avenue, with reminiscences
from long-time residents and business people is at
http://www.fordham.edu/gsas/NYTimesBelmont.htm
For an overview of Arthur Avenue, go to
http://www.bronxview.com/belmont/
The Belmont Arthur Avenue Local Development
Corporation’s fun website has details on the Ferragosto,
held annually in mid-August, as well as more historical and
descriptive information about the neighborhood, including
the recipe of the week and Italian proverbs at
http://arthuravenuebronx.com/belmont_arthur_ldc.htm
The Wildlife Conservation Society, better known as the
Bronx Zoo, is at http://wcs.org/
The New York Botanical Garden is at
http://www.nybg.org/
Fordham University is at http://www.fordham.edu/
About Big Apple Greeter
Established in 1992, Big Apple Greeter is a “welcome
visitor” program whose aim is to introduce foreign and
domestic visitors to a “New Yorker’s New York.” A large
network of volunteer Greeters help visitors to feel welcome
and comfortable and to make the most out of their stay in
the world’s most exciting and diverse city. Our goal is to
Text by Gerald Koffler
Photos by Bernard Saper
6/03
©2003 Big Apple Greeter
encourage visitors to return to New York again and again.
As a non-profit voluntary organization, Big Apple Greeter
receives financial support from New York
City’s business and philanthropic
communities, and offers its services to
visitors free of charge. Greeters do not
accept tips.
Who Is A Big Apple
Greeter?
Nearly 400 adults of all ages, from all of the five boroughs
of New York City have volunteered to become Greeters.
Each is eager to portray his or her enthusiastic view of New
York City. More than 20 foreign languages are spoken
among the volunteer Greeters.
What Does A Greeter
Actually Do?
Share with a visitor what life in New
York is really like by walking in their
own neighborhood, or a neighborhood
familiar to the Greeter—not just to see the
well known sights of New York, but to highlight the little
things that distinguish one New York neighborhood from
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donated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
How Do Visitors Learn
About Big Apple
Greeter?
Information about Big Apple Greeter is
available on our multi-lingual Web site,
www.bigapplegreeter.org, as well as
extensive national and international
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“Word-of-mouth,” travel agents, guidebooks and other
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nondiscriminatory policy on race,
religion, color, national origin,
age, gender, sexual orientation,
marital status and disability.
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©2003 Big Apple Greeter
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