Ask any New Yorker about Arthur Avenue in the Bronx and you get either puzzlement or a flood of loving sentiment about the real Little Italy of New York, the best place for bread, pasta, meat, pastries, and more. The paradox is real: Many New Yorker’s never heard of the place, while for others it’s home away from home.
We’re describing the Belmont section of the Bronx. Whether you call it Belmont, Little Italy of the Bronx, or Arthur Avenue, the neighborhood beats its rivals in the sheer number of establishments offering fine goods and services. The neighborhood sustains a thriving business district that includes world-class restaurants, high-quality artisanal food shops, and specialty stores carrying handmade local and imported items that you’d be hard-pressed to find elsewhere.
Guests from across the globe come to sample the tastes and traditions of this extraordinary community, home to numerous businesses that are still owned and operated by the same families that started them over a century ago. “Nearly every shop on Arthur Avenue is already some sort of institution,” as one writer put it. The neighborhood is supported by thousands of regional and local shoppers as well as domestic and international tourists every year, making it one of the busiest and best-known communities of NYC.
Celebrities and notables return to Arthur Avenue time and time again, especially to seek refuge from the Manhattan spotlight and to enjoy the small-town atmosphere for a relaxing meal or a weekend stroll. Frank Sinatra and “the Rat Pack” once headlined a list that today includes celebrities like Clint Eastwood, Farah Fawcett, Adam Sandler, Liza Minelli, Cher, Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka.
Whether you come to the area for shopping, dining, one of our exciting events, or after a visit to the Bronx Zoo, New York Botanical Garden, or Yankee Stadium, the Belmont Business Improvement District (BID) promises that it is worth the trip!
Visiting
Arthur Avenue is within approximately 30 minutes of nearly any point in the NY metropolitan area.
- Driving: Visitors from the Tri-state area often frequent Arthur Avenue including from Westchester County, Connecticut, Long Island, New Jersey and beyond, as the neighborhood is accessible from all bridges and major highways running in and around the Bronx.
- Train via Metro North: Harlem Line to Fordham Road or New Haven Line to Fordham Road.
- Subway via the D/B line: Take the 4 or D train to Fordham Road and take the 12-bus heading east; Take the 2 or 5 train to Pelham Parkway then the 12-bus heading west.
Shopping and gourmet tours are organized by regionally-based tourism companies. For more information, contact us.