Arthur Avenue: Not Your Average Cappuccino

Cute little puppy coffee!

Blue Mediterranean has amazing seafood dishes.

Academics are incredibly important here at Fordham, but when we want to unwind from class and catch up with friends, Arthur Avenue is the place to go. 

I still remember my first time going to Bronx’s Little Italy after visiting Fordham during my junior year of high school. I had never been in such a neighborhood before, and it was fascinating seeing all of the quaint Italian restaurants and cafes.

Quick Tino's veggie
lasagna lunch
before class.

Umai Sushi's
specialty rolls.

I’ve made it my mission to visit every eatery on Arthur Avenue by the time I graduate. However, as I’m in the midst of my junior year, I’m slowly realizing that this might not be possible to accomplish in my remaining time at Fordham. 

There are so many options in Bronx’s Little Italy that are essential to try out; some have been around for years, and now ones open all the time. Inevitably, I’ve found my personal favorites, and I suggest them to every visiting family and prospective student I meet on campus.

A common misconception about Little Italy is that it’s only good for dinner, but Fordham students will tell you otherwise. There are plenty of dinner options for sure, but it’s just as easy to go out and grab a breakfast sandwich after a long night of studying, indulge in a quick cup of coffee and pastry between classes, meet friends for frozen yogurt when the weather’s nice, or grab a delicious slice of pizza – just because!

My favorite: taco salad from Estrellita's!

Coffee and
croissant
breakfast
from De Lillo's.

Not only that, but the area is also particularly affordable – especially since many of its patrons are very budget-concerned college students – and offers all different types of cuisines, not solely Italian (even though the Italian food here is second to none…). The area exudes a very family-friendly vibe, and the school spirit lives on in the neighborhood, even more so after homecoming and big football games when the streets fill with crowds of Fordham families and proud alumni.

Ferragosto on Arthur Ave: NYC’s “real” Little Italy

This past Sunday was a special day on Arthur Ave as the area celebrated Ferragosto, an annual festival.  Ferragosto is a centuries-old Italian tradition that recognizes the end of the harvest with the consumption of the fruits of the labor.  Several blocks of the Avenue were closed to cars and opened for local vendors to set up shops along the street.

The crowded streets during Ferragosto 

I was quickly overwhelmed by the options for food but also impressed by the variety and quality of it all.  Along the street, there were people selling handmade pastas, fresh raw oysters, all kinds of breads, freshly roasted coffee, stuffed clams, and many types of cookies and pastries, not to mention the choices for pizza.  Also, restaurants along the street added outdoor seating and were serving from their menu.  It was difficult to decide what I wanted to eat, but I soon found myself in line for sausage, pepper, and onion sandwiches.

One of the many markets on the street

Another vendor selling Italian specialties

After eating, I continued walking down Arthur Ave and saw some of Ferragosto’s other offerings, including handmade cigar rolling, wine tastings, and several musical artists performing live.  Although it was crowded, I very much enjoyed spending the day taking in the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of the festival.  And while perhaps not every trip to the “real” Little Italy of New York City is quite as entertaining as it was on Sunday, I feel very fortunate that the Italian restaurants and specialty shops open every day on that street are less than a 5 minute walk from my home at Rose Hill.

Vendors cooking food right on Arthur Ave.

Blog By: Brendan Burke