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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Bronx
The Bronx
Base in Manhattan and give the Bronx one full day (zoo + gardens) or two if you add Yankee Stadium or City Island; don't move hotels here.
The Bronx is the only New York City borough on the mainland, north of Manhattan and reachable by subway in 30–45 minutes. It holds the Bronx Zoo, the New York Botanical Garden, Yankee Stadium, Arthur Avenue's Italian blocks and City Island. Almost everyone visits on a day trip from Manhattan rather than sleeping here.
- Country
- United States
- Local name
- The Bronx
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jan–Feb (cold), Jul–Aug (heat and humidity)
- Stay
- 0–1 (most visit as a day trip from Manhattan) nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $40–70 excl. bed · Mid $70–130 excl. bed · High $130+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911 · NYC non-emergency 311
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | $3–6 |
| Slice of pizza | $3–5 |
| Arthur Avenue pasta main | $18–30 |
| Subway ride (OMNY) | $3 (check) |
| Metro-North CityTicket, weekend within city | $5 (check) |
| NYC Ferry Soundview route | $4 (check) |
| Yankee Stadium tour | $20 (check) |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | $15–40 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- JFK · John F. Kennedy International
- About 1 h 15 min to the Bronx by subway plus AirTrain; longer by road in traffic.
- LGA · LaGuardia
- Closest airport to the Bronx; about 30–50 min by road, no direct rail link.
- EWR · Newark Liberty International
- Farthest of the three; about 1 h 30 min by rail and subway via Manhattan.
Typical fares
- Subway Manhattan → Bronx
- flat fare, about $3 by OMNY tap (check)
- Metro-North CityTicket (weekend, within city)
- $5 (check)
- NYC Ferry Soundview route
- $4, about 56 min end to end (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Subway lines 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, B and D link Manhattan to the Bronx; Metro-North (Harlem, Hudson, New Haven lines) covers areas without subway. Subway lines mostly run north–south, so crosstown trips need buses or a car. NYC Ferry's Soundview route serves the southeast Bronx. Use a MetroCard or OMNY tap; fares are flat per ride.
See and do
Known for
- Bronx Zoo
- New York Botanical Garden
- Yankee Stadium
- Arthur Avenue Italian food
- Birthplace of hip hop
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Manhattan | Subway 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, B or D southbound | 30–45 min |
| Brooklyn | Subway via Manhattan, or Metro-North plus subway | 1–1.5 h |
| Queens | Subway and bus via Manhattan or the Bronx | 1–1.5 h |
| Staten Island | Subway to the ferry, then the free Staten Island Ferry | 1.5–2 h |
Sleep
- Manhattan (recommended base)
- Most visitors sleep in Manhattan and day-trip north; subway lines 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, B and D run into the Bronx.
- Mott Haven / South Bronx
- Closest Bronx neighborhood to Manhattan, with new hotels near the 138 St–Grand Concourse stops; short subway ride to Midtown.
- Riverdale
- Quiet residential area of detached houses on Hudson bluffs; Metro-North Hudson Line, few hotels.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me | Excuse me |
| Thank you | Thank you |
| How much is it? | How much is it? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| Where is the subway? | Where is the subway? |
| To this address, please | To this address, please |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- Subway and bus lines mostly run north–south; crossing the borough east–west is slow.
- The Cross-Bronx Expressway is often jammed — avoid driving it at rush hour.
- Yankee Stadium bans backpacks and large bags; only bags under 14 inches are allowed.
- Some South Bronx blocks have higher street crime than Manhattan tourist zones; stay aware at night.
- Zoo and garden tickets are cheaper online and dated; buy ahead in summer.
The Bronx is a normal big-city borough: the tourist sights (zoo, gardens, stadium, Arthur Avenue) are busy and fine by day. Use ordinary city sense at night, keep to lit main streets, and don't wander unfamiliar South Bronx blocks after dark.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Bronx yet. Suggested stay: 0–1 (most visit as a day trip from Manhattan) nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Bronx Zoo
- New York Botanical Garden
- Yankee Stadium
- Arthur Avenue Italian food
- Birthplace of hip hop
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- MTA: www.mta.info/
- NYC Ferry: www.ferry.nyc/routes-and-schedules/
- New York Botanical Garden: www.nybg.org/
- Wikivoyage: Bronx, revision 5240251 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5240251
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
BronxThe Bronx
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in the Bronx; consulates-general and embassies are in Manhattan.
Tipping is expected: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink, 15–20% taxis.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/bronx). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.