Belmont

Arthur Avenue, the heart of the Bronx’s Little Italy (aka Belmont), is a compact slice of the old country. Lined with welcoming shops, bakeries and restaurants—many of which fly the Italian flag—the blocks thrum with activity, much of it food related. Folks of every age and background amble in and out of family-run markets, linger over cappuccinos in time-honored cafés and tuck into bowls of bucatini on outdoor patios. A daylong culinary tour—watching the locals make fresh pasta, sampling ricotta and slurping an oyster street-side—is a transporting experience.