Outdoor Fun Just Steps Off the Rose Hill Campus!

Sometimes during the semester, it is necessary to take a break from school-related activities to "recharge your batteries." Luckily, there are many nearby that are great for a quick study break and some fresh air! A plethora of options exists in both the Bronx and Manhattan, but two of my favorite places to take a short break are located minutes from the Rose Hill Campus.

From a recent fall trip to the NYBG

Directly across the street from the main entrance to the Rose Hill campus is the entrance to the New York Botanical Gardens. Fordham students receive free admission to the gardens with their student ID, and its close proximity to campus makes it the perfect place to go for a quick change of scenery. Our free admission allows access to the grounds of the gardens, giving students a choice of which part they want to explore.

The Bronx Zoo is just a few minutes off campus, too! On Wednesdays, admission to the zoo is free, which works perfectly for us since many Fordham students have few (or no) classes on Wednesdays! Measuring 265 acres, this unique city zoo makes for a great place to spend a few hours enjoying the outdoors, walking around with friends and learning about the Wildlife Conservation Society's efforts.

My recent trip to the Bronx Zoo included a stop at Tiger Mountain

How to Boogie Down in the Bronx

Living at the Rose Hill campus I, along with many other students, have grown to know and love the Bronx.  In the past year and a half while here, I’ve come up with four of my favorite parts of the Bronx. 

Arthur Ave

Coming from an Italian family who loves to eat great food, my first choice is an easy one: Arthur Ave, the original Little Italy.  Arthur offers its guests great Italian restaurants, bakeries, food markets, festivals, and a discount to Fordham students!!  One of my favorite pastimes on Arthur is to eat at one of the restaurants and then get a cannoli at Palombo’s for 20% off!  If you’re more into the cooking part of food, then Arthur is still your place.  Borgatti’s pasta and Casa della Mozzarella have you covered!  Both shops make their food right in the store and will even give you a life story of their travels from Italy free of charge!

Palombo's Bakery

City Island

This next one is a place that I wish I went to more: City Island. It’s great for a nice fall day where you’re still trying to hold onto the summer, or a warm spring day where you’re just starting to feel the summer!  After an easy bus ride to the island, you’ve teleported away from the busy city into a small fishing oasis.  When I first went there with some friends, we took the bus to the very last stop, in front of Sammy’s Fish Box.  We took one look at the building, saw Santa relaxing on the moon and knew this was the place for us.  The multi-course meal and best vanilla custard ever just confirmed our faith in Sammy! After that huge meal, you should take a stroll, work off all of that food, and see the island.

Sammy's with Santa on the Moon

Yankee Stadium

I don’t care if you’re a Yankee’s, Boston, or another (less fortunate) fan, but everyone should make at least one trip to Yankee Stadium; it is the Cathedral of Baseball after all!  The stadium is the sixth subway stop from Fordham Road, and when you walk out from the subway, you can see all the glory and history that is Yankee Stadium!! Often times throughout the year, residence halls and Campus Activities Board, CAB, even give out free or very discounted tickets.  If there isn’t a sale on campus, you can still buy a $20 ticket and enjoy the game with the legendary Bleacher Creatures.

Sitting with the Bleacher Creatures 

Bronx Zoo/Botanical Garden

This final place is a two parter that every student has probably done many, many times: Go to the Botanical Garden and Bronx Zoo.  Both are literally across the street from campus and very welcoming to Fordham students.  The Botanical Garden is free for Fordham students, and on Wednesdays you can get into the zoo with a donation of your choosing!  These are great places for a relaxing afternoon walk or activity on a beautiful day.  Many students go for runs through the Garden, stroll through the flowers, or simply mingle with the various animals at the zoo.

The Botanical Garden during a Halloween exhibit

Although many view New York City only as Manhattan, Fordham helps everyone to realize that there are so many activities we can do without even leaving our own borough!  So get out and Boggie Down in the Bronx!!

Public Service Announcement: For your own safety, try not to wear non-Yankees apparel around the Bleacher Creatures.

10 Things To Do For Under $10

Worried that living in a city will be hard on your wallet? Here are a few activities that Fordham students can do for less than $10!

1. Support the Rams and head to a game!

All campus games are free for students to attend- football, basketball, baseball- you name it! Going to games is a fun way to take a break from schoolwork and support your fellow Rams. Very often there are free giveaways at games such as Fordham t-shirts, hats, and signs.

   2. Cappuccinos and cannolis on Arthur Avenue

A dessert date on Arthur Avenue is an inexpensive, fun, and delicious way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Grab a friend and head to Palumbo’s Bakery to receive 20% off your treat with your Fordham ID. Eighty-cent mini cannolis? Count me in!

3. Explore the New York Botanical Gardens

Open Tuesday through Sunday, the Botanical Gardens offer free entrance to all Fordham Students. Located right across from Fordham’s Rose Hill campus entrance, the Botanical Gardens is a great place to go for a walk with friends or take an afternoon jog.

4. Go to the zoo! (On Wednesdays)

Every Wednesday, the iconic Bronx Zoo is open to the public free of charge (although donations are much appreciated). Take a walk with some friends to see all the animals and be careful to watch out for wandering peacocks.

    5. Experience Central Park

A couple minutes walk from the Lincoln Center campus, Central Park is perfect for playing ball, having a catch, or going for a run or walk with friends. Hop on the Ram Van for only $3 and you are just blocks away from 843 acres of beautiful greens, ponds, and paths.

6. Take an exercise class

The Ram Fit Center offers free exercise classes for all students Monday through Friday- including spin, yoga, strength, conditioning, and dance classes. No signups are necessary and classes are fun, encouraging, and taught by certified instructors. This semester’s class schedule can be found online here.

    7. Go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art or the AmericanMuseum of Natural History (or both!)

Take a $2.50 subway ride to Manhattan and check out two of New York’s most famous museums. Both museums have suggested admission rates, but have a “pay what you want policy”. Toss in a $5 donation and explore centuries of art and American history.

8. Play squash

Rainy day? Make use of Fordham’s Squash facilities by heading to the Lombardi center and request a couple balls and rackets for a game of squash with friends all free of charge. Bring a bathing suit and hop in the pool to cool off after your game.

9. Order tacos!

Estellita's chicken fajitas and guacamole 

Order $2 tacos for delivery from the Fordham student favorite restaurant Estrellita’s on Arthur Avenue. Add in an order of fresh homemade guacamole and chips for an inexpensive break from campus food. Hmmm hmmm hmmm good. 

10. Follow and like Campus Activities Board (CAB)

Stay up to date on campus happenings by following CAB on Twitter and liking them on Facebook. The student run club is always hosting various free or minimal cost events open to all Fordham Students. Movies are played on a weekly basis in Keating’s largest auditorium and Broadway tickets are raffled off each month. CAB also hosts fun events such as Bingo nights, comedy shows, and even trips to the Empire State Building.

The moral of the story is you do not have to bust your wallet to have fun and eat well as a Fordham student in New York City! Both the city and Fordham offer many activities for students of all interests. Tomorrow, for example, I am going to sign up with free Yankee game tickets through CAB!  

New York Is My Campus, Fordham Is My School

The Cloisters Museum and Gardens
is located in Fort Tryon Park in northern Manhattan 

New York is my campus, Fordham is my school. As you complete the core curriculum, you will find this saying to be true. You are likely to have an assignment that requires you to visit a museum or zoo exhibit, attend a musical or theatrical performance, or travel across the street to the New York Botanical Garden. Not only do these experiences enhance the lecture material by applying hands-on learning outside of the classroom, but they propel you to take advantage of the wide variety of opportunities available right in our own backyard!

Medieval architecture at the Cloisters

My freshman year, I ventured to The Juilliard School at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts for my Music History class, a fulfillment of my Fine Arts core requirement. I watched and listened to the Julliard Chamber Orchestra perform the music of renowned composers, such as Stravinsky and Mozart. I also visited the Cloisters, the branch of The Metropolitan Museum of Art devoted to the art and architecture of medieval Europe - a trip prompted by my Medieval History class, a fulfillment of my Understanding Historical Change core requirement. Other students, from the Gabelli School of Business and Fordham College at Rose Hill, frequently visit The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in midtown Manhattan for core classes such as Art History or Texts and Contexts. During the fall semester of my sophomore year, Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History became a destination for my Astronomy class, a fulfillment of my Physical Science core requirement. During the spring semester of that year, I walked five minutes down the street from campus to the Bronx Zoo (free admission on Wednesdays!) to construct an ethogram of the Coquerel’s Sifaka in the Madagascar exhibit. This was part of a lesson on the study of animal behavior for the lab portion of my Foundations of Biology class, a fulfillment of my Life Science core requirement.

The Coquerel's Sifaka at the Bronx Zoo

Though some of these assignments slightly challenged my comfort zone as an inexperienced city navigator, they encouraged me to make connections with my classmates and ultimately led me to gain a greater understanding of and appreciation for the course material. Each was an interesting learning and cultural experience and another way in which New York is my campus and Fordham is my school.