Snowy Sunday morning in early February? Why not walk around The Bronx? Took the 8:12 Metro North train to Melrose station, and headed west on 162nd Street.
Now the Mario Merola building
The Bronx Country Courthouse, an imposing nine story art deco building dominates the area around the southern end of the Grand Concourse. Yankee Stadium is a few blocks to the west.
Reassuring to see police cars
As I walked around the West Bronx on this winter Sunday morning, I tried to stay on busy streets, but that wasn’t always possible, as the retail shopping sections tended to fade away into quiet, occasionally deserted, residential areas. Blue and white NYC police cars were frequently in sight, and for all my boasting about how safe The Bronx is, they were a welcome sight.
Across from court house
888 Grand Concourse, designed by Emery Roth.
North of courthouse
Eight sculptures flank the courthouse building. They depict civic virtues like Loyalty, Sacrifice, Administration, Justice, etc. Frankly, I can’t tell which of those this one depicts.
Lorelei statue
Right across 161st Street from the courthouse is Joyce Kilmer Park, which extends several blocks up the Grand Concourse. A few people were out walking their dogs or going somewhere with children in tow (heading to church, I suppose).
A closer look at the statue of Lorelie, a Heinrich Heine character.
1150 Grand Concourse
1150 Grand Concourse is the well-known “fish building,” so called because of its tile mosaics. (Truth in advertising: I saturated up the colors in this shot.)
Bronx security
On Grand Concourse
All these photos were taken on or right around the Grand Concourse, between 161st and 170th Streets. I then headed north on Jerome Avenue, a very commercial street, with an El above it (the #4 line) and lots of automotive shops (mufflers, tires, auto glass, oil change, etc.). Had a cafe con leche in El Nuevo Valle restaurant at 176th Street. Tried to visit the Hall of Fame for Great Americans, but the entire Bronx Community College campus was closed and locked up for the weekend. Back to Jerome Avenue, where I boarded the uptown #4 subway (elevated here) to Mosholu Parkway.
Staying on the busy retail store stretches of Jerome Avenue and Gun Hill Road, I soon arrived at Williamsbridge station for the 11:48 train to Hartsdale.