by Michelle Mullen<\/p>\n
As New York City tourism officials push for a $35 million investment in the city\u2019s budget, supporters say the funding could help attract visitors to the \u201cBoogie Down Bronx\u201d while supporting jobs and economic development across the borough.<\/p>\n
In the northwest Bronx, it may offer an opportunity to draw people to destinations long left off traditional city tourism maps, including Riverdale\u2019s Wave Hill and the historic Van Cortlandt House Museum in Kingsbridge. Across the borough, projects like the future Hip Hop Museum and the Kingsbridge Armory redevelopment are part of a broader effort to expand the Bronx\u2019s footprint.<\/p>\n
The debate comes as the city\u2019s tourism industry continues recovering unevenly from the Covid-19 pandemic. According to Mayor Zohran Mamdani\u2019s Message from the Mayor, released alongside his May 12 executive budget proposal, New York City welcomed 65 million visitors in 2025, a modest 0.2 percent increase from the year before.<\/p>\n
The Mayor\u2019s Office did not respond to requests for comment by press time.<\/p>\n
Sadie Rosenthal, a spokesperson for NYC Tourism + Conventions, said the tourism and hospitality industry supported nearly 10,000 jobs in the Bronx in 2024, underscoring the growing role tourism plays in the borough\u2019s economy. She said additional funding would help strengthen marketing efforts for neighborhood institutions and business corridors that often lack the resources to promote themselves independently.<\/p>\n
At the Van Cortlandt House Museum, Giulietta Fiore, executive director of the Historic House Trust of New York City, said many smaller cultural institutions across the borough face challenges attracting visitors. Institutions like the Van Cortlandt House Museum often operate with limited staffing and marketing budgets despite serving as significant cultural resources.<\/p>\n
In addition to the Van Cortlandt House Museum, the trust oversees 22 historic sites citywide, including three in the Bronx, and Fiore said additional tourism support could help connect visitors to neighborhoods many New Yorkers rarely explore.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe really want people to be empowered to take the train up to Van Cortlandt House Museum,\u201d Fiore noted, describing a vision of visitors exploring the museum, walking through the park and supporting nearby businesses.<\/p>\n
She also pointed to affordability and ADA accessibility improvements, including a new ramp at the museum, as increasingly important parts of attracting broader audiences.<\/p>\n
At Wave Hill, marketing director Kathleen Gordon said tourism has likewise become increasingly tied to financial and physical accessibility. Part of NYC Tourism + Conventions\u2019 network, the public garden now draws at least 100,000 visitors annually.<\/p>\n
In recent years, Wave Hill expanded free programming and cultural celebrations tied to Juneteenth, D\u00eda de los Muertos and other holidays while working to cast a wider net in its audience. Among the changes are free community events, partnerships with organizations like Carnegie Hall and shuttle service connecting the garden to nearby transportation hubs.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur goal is to sort of let people know that it is a place for all New Yorkers,\u201d Gordon said. \u201cBeing close to nature is important for everybody, and we want to make sure people feel welcomed here regardless of where they\u2019re coming from.\u201d<\/p>\n
Transportation remains one of the biggest obstacles for destinations in the northwest Bronx, Gordon said, particularly for older adults or visitors unfamiliar with the area.<\/p>\n
Although Wave Hill directs visitors to arrive via Metro-North to the nearby Riverdale station, the No. 1 train to West 242nd Street or several local bus lines, reaching the garden without a car can still prove difficult.<\/p>\n
The Riverdale Metro-North station sits less than half a mile away, but the route climbs a steep hill lined with potholes and deteriorating asphalt. The 242nd Street subway station is more than a mile and a half from the garden, requiring visitors to navigate hilly terrain and stretches of uneven sidewalks. While buses shorten the distance, visitors must still walk portions of the route, often uphill.<\/p>\n
For Bronx business owners, tourism promotion is also tied closely to changing perceptions of the borough itself.<\/p>\n
Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, who serves on the board of NYC Tourism + Conventions, said tourism has become increasingly connected to economic growth, small business support and job creation.<\/p>\n
\u201cMany Bronxites need jobs, they need opportunities, and tourism is a part of that,\u201d Gibson said. \u201cIt supports our business corridors, our cultural institutions and creates pathways for people across the borough.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gibson pointed to projects like the Kingsbridge Armory redevelopment. With features like a 17,000-seat event venue and significant retail space, she believes it could reshape how outsiders experience the Bronx while bringing additional investment into the borough.<\/p>\n
She also acknowledged that longstanding perceptions about crime and poverty continue shaping how outsiders view the borough.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf people don\u2019t feel the place they\u2019re visiting is safe, they\u2019re not going to come,\u201d Gibson said. \u201cA large part of this work is about defying those odds and destigmatizing the association that the Bronx has historically been known for.\u201d<\/p>\n
Anthony Ramirez, co-owner of the Bronx Beer Hall, founder of From the Bronx and a member of NYC Tourism + Conventions\u2019 board, said tourism campaigns have helped direct more attention toward neighborhood businesses and destinations outside Manhattan.<\/p>\n
Through his From the Bronx merchandise brand and work as a Bronx tour guide, Ramirez has built much of his business around reshaping how visitors experience the borough. His tours bring people to neighborhood restaurants, cultural landmarks and businesses many tourists \u2014 and even longtime New Yorkers \u2014 rarely encounter.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlaces like Times Square really sell themselves,\u201d Ramirez said. \u201cWhen people think about New York City tourism, they don\u2019t always think about the Bronx. So getting people to come uptown, explore neighborhoods and support local businesses really matters.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\tKeywords<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\tBronx tourism,\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t NYC Tourism + Conventions,\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t Riverdale attractions,\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t Wave Hill,\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t Van Cortlandt House Museum,\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t Bronx economy,\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t tourism funding,\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t Bronx jobs,\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t Kingsbridge Armory redevelopment,\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t Hip Hop Museum,\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t Bronx cultural institutions,\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t Vanessa Gibson,\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
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