Location, Location, Location!

Exterior of the Bronx Museum of the Arts

Location is a big pull factor for Fordham; students from all over the country and all over the world are drawn to pursuing higher education in New York City. The city doesn’t just offer plentiful opportunities for future careers, but also those for cultural engagement and entertainment.

Personally, I love to spend weekends visiting museums. Like any big city, New York has its fair share. There are the famous ones in Manhattan, like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the American Museum of Natural History, and then there are the smaller ones dotted throughout each borough.

The Bronx Museum of the Arts is a world-renowned institution of contemporary art exhibitions and innovative education programs. Just four subway stops away from Fordham’s Rose Hill campus, admission is always free! The museum is also known for its special cultural events, including live performances and workshops in poetry, salsa dancing, and more.

Last spring, I attended a truly spectacular event where women of the Bronx performed music, stories, and poems inspired by an art piece within the museum, in front of that specific piece. This July through October, the museum is home to "Art AIDS America," the very first exhibition to explore the impact of the AIDS epidemic on American art and culture.

Willie Cole, How Do You Spell America? #2, 1993
Exhibit: Art AIDS America

The Bronx Museum of the Arts is not one you’d want to miss!

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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.

Summer at LIFT and the City

A major attraction to Fordham for me was the fact that it’s so close to Manhattan. This provides an endless amount of opportunities—academic, social and professional! Since Manhattan is just a short train ride away, The Bronx is sometimes overshadowed by this bustling city. The Fordham community itself is an excellent hub of rich opportunities. This past summer, in fact, I had one of the most rewarding experiences of my life right here in the Bronx.

Just three short blocks down Belmont Avenue, is a non-profit organization called LIFT, the place that I interned at this past summer. LIFT has the ambitious goal of “lifting people out of poverty for good”. People in the Bronx community utilize its service to help with things like finding jobs, finding a place to live, and learning how to live on a strict budget. Everyday I got to meet with these community members, help them with whatever they needed, and learn a ton in the process. What first drew me to this internship was the convenience of being able to walk to work in less than five minutes.

Other than the rewarding work itself, interning at LIFT came with plenty of benefits. I got to work every day with an amazing group of people who I wouldn’t have otherwise met at Fordham. My fellow interns commuted to LIFT from all over New York, including Staten Island, Queens, Brooklyn, and Washington Heights. We bonded outside of the office and would make fun trips together into Manhattan on the weekends. My favorite day was the one we spent at the American Museum of Natural History. This iconic museum is right across the street from Central Park, which allowed us to grab food from a street truck and eat on the green grass of the Park after touring the museum.

A couple of my coworkers, Caralie (middle), Laura (right), with me at the American Museum of Natural History

All of the Bronx interns in front of an Aztec exhibit at the AMNH

Central Park is such a beautiful place to have lunch, hang out with your friends, take a walk, or just breathe in the fresh air.

Interning at an organization like LIFT was such a great way to gain valuable experience while really giving back to my community. Fordham is located in one of the most culturally rich and diverse places in New York, and I am so grateful to have been able to better connect to it this summer. Walking around outside the gates of Fordham, I now feel more connected to the place I live, and I sometimes even see familiar faces! You can apply to places such as LIFT no matter what degree you are pursuing at Fordham. The Bronx really does have so much to offer!

Blog By: Abby Collins