Why it beats Manhattan's Little Italy
Manhattan's Little Italy has been shrinking and becoming increasingly tourist-oriented since the 1980s — today it's a few blocks of red-sauce restaurants aimed primarily at visitors who want the experience of eating in Little Italy rather than Italian food per se. Arthur Avenue in the Bronx is different: actual Italian-American families still live in the neighbourhood, the shops and restaurants serve a local clientele alongside visitors, and the food is meaningfully better. This is not a controversial local opinion.
What's there
Arthur Avenue Retail Market — an indoor market that's been operating since 1940, with vendors selling fresh pasta, imported Italian charcuterie, olives, and specialty groceries. A small café at the centre sells espresso to the market vendors and to whoever walks in. Worth going even if you're not buying groceries.
The bakeries — Italian bread bakeries operating on the same stretch, the kind where bread comes out of the oven continuously and the line moves fast because the staff know what they're doing.
The red-sauce restaurants — genuine neighbourhood sit-down Italian, not themed. Portions are large, prices are reasonable by New York standards, and the clientele is mixed between locals and visitors who made the trip specifically for this.
Getting there
The B/D train to Fordham Road, then a walk or short bus ride east; or the Metro-North Harlem Line to Fordham station. The trip from Midtown Manhattan takes 25–35 minutes. Also easy to combine with a Bronx Zoo visit since both are in the same general area.