Getting to The Bronx, New York

Best known for housing Yankee Stadium, the home field of the New York Yankees baseball team, the vast Bronx Zoo, and the New York Botanical Garden, situated by the Hudson River you will find The Bronx. There’s a lot of places to walk around in this borough, also known as the birthplace of hip-hop culture. You can get there by bus from $19, with a prebooked professional driver from $60, by subway with tickets from $2.75, or using on demand apps and taxis.

The Bronx Key Information

Parts of The Bronx are still considered dangerous even for locals. Registering the highest crime rates in New York City, The Bronx's neighborhoods of Mott Haven, West Bronx, Soundview, Morrisania, and Hunt's Point should be avoided.

Nevertheless, New York's Police Department (NYPD) along with rehabilitation organizations invest great efforts to patrol the area and keep it controlled.

It is certain you will find the best fares for lodging options in all New York city in the Bronx. Motels, renting and properties booked through websites like AirBnB can get you extremely low rates per day for accommodation only 30 minutes away from New York City.

The tricky part

Unlike the other boroughs in New York, locals believe it is the best for tourists to use private rides such as Uber and Lyft when moving around the Bronx to avoid areas where safety may be a concern.

Even if this borough is not as big as Queens, it is the second largest and its public transportation network crosses many neighborhoods, some of which are not safe areas for non-locals.

After the 1980s a great number of housing and government housing projects have progressed to urbanize the area. This means building areas of government housing scattered around the borough. These spots are usually avoided by tourists. In all, there is a relatively high rate of armed and unarmed crime in the borough, even in busy places, alleys between buildings are to be completely avoided.

Unlike the other boroughs, the Bronx is mostly a residential area where almost everyone is a local compared to Times Square in Manhattan or Dumbo in Brooklyn. Italian, Latino and African American communities have made the Bronx a culturally rich borough with great markets and street food.

The Bronx is worth visiting for a day, or two even, if you are interested in seeing the famous Bronx Zoo, Yankee Stadium, or the largest park in New York City, Pelham Bay Park.

Getting to The Bronx

Located in the northernmost part of New York, the Bronx is really close to LaGuardia Airport (LGA). JFK International Airport is located at twice the distance, while Newark Liberty Airport (EWR) is the furthest with daily flights servicing all three airports flying direct from most capitals of the world.

By Train and Bus

Fordham Terminal is the largest and busiest bus and commuter trains station in The Bronx located in 417 East Fordham Road in Fordham.

There are stops for buses Bx1 and Bx2 (towards Riverdale and Kingsbridge Heights), Bx9 (West Farms), Bx12 (Pelham Bay), Bx15 (to the 3rd Avenue), Bx17 (Saint Anne's Avenue), Bx22 (Castle Hill Avenue), and Bx34 (Bainbridge Avenue) Bx41 (Meltrose Avenue). All these lines operated by NYCT Bus Company.

You can also travel by bus with MTA lines BxM4 (towards 5th and Madison Avenues). The Bee-Line Bus serves buses 60 (Boston Post Road, Palmer Avenue, and Mamaroneck Avenue), 61 (Fifth Avenue, Halstead Avenue), and 62 (Boston Post Road, New England Thruway, and Westchester Avenue).

The fare for these buses can be paid using the MetroCard.

The Metro-North Commuter Rail to Harlem arrives from Grand Central Terminal and stops at Fordham Road station. Prices start at $9 for a trip within the City. This train operates every 20 minutes and takes about 18 minutes to reach Fordham.

The Harlem Line connects also to the Tremont Station towards Grand Central and the Botanical Gardens towards North White Plains. There is also the New Haven Line which also goes to Gran Central via Harlem 125th Street and Stamford towards New Haven.

A train ticket will need to be purchased at the station at the ticket vending machines. The app MTA eTix for android and iOS devices can also be used to purchase these.

A majority of buses arriving from neighboring cities do not arrive directly to the Bronx, but mainly into the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan where you can take a taxi, Uber, or Lyft for approximately $30 to reach The Bronx.

There are many affordable buses that reach New York from nearby states and even Canada. In the section below we have a list of reference and prices.

By Car

Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington DC, New Haven, and Boston are all connected by Route 95. Once you enter the city the road continues straight to the White Plains road in Parkchester, the heart of the Bronx.

If you are visiting from Pittsburgh, take Route 78 until you reach New Jersey, switching to the New Jersey Turnpike tolled road, where you will switch to route 95 which leads you straight to the White Plains road in Parkchester.

Coming from Montreal, Canada (which is only 7 hours away) Route 87 down to Suffern where it changes to Route 287 and is then called Sprain Brook Parkway in the Bronx.

The Frugal Option

Getting to The Bronx on a budget is possible making a combination of Airtrain and Subway. However, you will need to get to Manhattan's Pennsylvania Station or Grand Central Station first. To get there:

• From JFK Airport get the AirTrain at a cost of $7.75 per passenger. You will board the subway line A at Howard Beach Station for a fee of $2.75. Continue to Sutphin Boulevard Station to transfer to lines E, J, or Z which get you to Penn Station, Grand Central Terminal, or Port Authority Bus. From Penn Station you will need to get the Subway line 2 to the Bronx.
• From Newark Liberty Airport, use the NJ Transit train going into Penn Station and from there, board the Subway line 2 into the Bronx. Trains are available every day of the week from 5am to 2am with a ticket cost of $12.50 plus the $7.50 cost of the AirTrain plus the $2.75 of the subway.
• La Guardia does not have an AirTrain yet, so if you arrive to LGA, you can take bus line M60 to New York Port Authority Bus Terminal and then walk to Times Square on 42nd Street to take subway line 2 to the Bronx Park East. The bus is $2.75 and the subway/train will be $2.75 as well, all need to be paid with the Metrocard which has a cost of $1.

Private Transfer Options

Pre-arranging a car service from the airport is possibly the best choice to get to The Bronx when landing from a long-haul flight particularly if traveling in groups as bus tickets may sum up to the same amount of a private ride without the comfort of your own driver in a spacious vehicle.

Prebooking a professional driver to pick you up proves to be a comfortable choice with different levels of budget options:

• From JFK Airport a private sedan for up to 3 passengers starts at $75, an SUV for 6 passengers for $107, a private van for 7 from $213, or a private bus for 14 from $295.
• From LaGuardia Airport a private sedan for up to 3 passengers starts at $72, an SUV for 6 passengers for $90, a private van for 7 from $193, or a private bus for 14 from $295.
• From Newark Liberty Airport a private sedan for up to 3 passengers starts at $108, an SUV for 6 passengers for $132, a private van for 7 from $264, or a private bus for 14 from $379.

Local Taxis

Local taxis are made to transport between three and four passengers depending on the vehicle model (some are larger van-type taxis) and they will allow for one piece of luggage per passenger.

• From JFK, a taxi to The Bronx is approximately $95 to $120 depending on where in the Bronx you are staying.
• LaGuardia being closer offers rates between $60 to $75. Please note only Taxis and Shuttles can service LaGuardia Terminal B. Any form of private transportation like private drivers and on-demand services are not allowed to pick up passengers from this terminal.
• A taxi ride from Newark Liberty Airport, being the furthest from The Bronx, may cost cost between $120 to $150.

The Mozio Recommendation

After a long international flight it is recommended to prebook your ride so as not to worry about it when you arrive. A professional driver waiting with a sign with your name on it at the arrivals hall and monitoring your flight for delays is just the thing you need. With 24/7 customer service, Mozio guarantees a smooth transportation to your hotel. On-demand Apps and local taxis offer an alternative as well.

Public transportation in The Bronx is not recommended for tourists not familiarized with the neighbourhood.

Moving AROUND The Bronx

People visiting The Bronx will need to choose from three main transportation service options to move around:

• On Demand Apps.
• Taxis.
• Public Transportation.
• A Car-Rental.

Car Rentals are available all over the city with a special recommendation to pick your vehicle at the airport upon arrival. However, parking can be challenging and adds up to the bill at the end of the day. Detailed information can be found on our New York Main guide.

Public transportation is available but highly discouraged for people who are unfamiliar with the neighbourhoods. Locals usually advice tourists to use the private driver options instead of the public means of transportation. The Bronx is a neighborhood not often visited by tourists and the public line of transportation may cross dangerous areas.

Taxis, On Demand and Shareride Apps

Uber, Lyft, Cabify, Bolt, and Grab are available ride-share on-demand apps popular among locals who often prefer to use the car pooling option to split the fare between strangers.

A lot of people prefer Uber's car pooling option, which is a type of service allowing different passengers who are perfect strangers going to close destinations to share the cost of the ride paid through the app.

All local taxis have their license displayed onboard and are regulated by the city's Taxi authority. You will be able to recognize a taxi on duty since the sign on the top will be turned on. The minimum fare for a taxi ride is $3 and will increase by 50 cents every minute. There is an additional $1 surcharge during the week between 4pm and 8pm and a 50 cent added after 8pm to 6am.

You may pay taxis with any sort of credit and debit card, as well as cash. Bear in mind a 15% to 20% tip should be added to the fare depending on the time of the day. Tolls due for crossing a bridge will be automatically added to your fare.

The Frugal Option

The MetroCard is the unified way to pay for any public transport across New York City, valid in all boroughs and the Metropolitan Area. There are two types of Metrocard:

• Regular MetroCard which costs $1 and can be recharged
• Weekly Pass MetroCard for $30 valid for 7 days straight from the first time it's used with unlimited uses for all means of transport. Recommended option for those who plan to hop on at least 2 to 4 subways per day.

By Subway: The main subway lines connecting The Bronx to the rest of New York City are 1, 2, B, D, 4, 5 (Lexington Avenue Express), and 6. All of them go to Manhattan, this means you will need to use a connection to reach a borough like Queens. Line 5 going to Flatbush Avenue and getting off at 59th Street. Then walk to 63rd Street Station and take line F towards Jamaica which crosses Queens horizontally. Neighborhoods like Astoria, Sunnyside and Forest Park in Queens.

By Bus: Buses are also an option to move around. With schedules and routes being constantly updated to maximize their performance, it is recommended to check the MTA official website for the latest information before hopping in a bus.

You will be able to pay for the buses with the MetroCard but note that if you are paying with cash, you will need to pay with the exact change. Otherwise, you will not be allowed in the bus.

Are Rideshare & TaxiApps Readily Available in The Bronx?