New York City Fordham And Belmont

Fordham University is the Bronx’s largest college. Its peaceful grounds offer refuge from its fast-paced surroundings. Belmont is also home to the Bronx’s fun Little Italy—and it puts Manhattan’s kitschy Mulberry St. to shame.

Fordham University. Opened in 1841 by John Hughes as St. John’s College, 80-acre Fordham has matured into one of the nation’s foremost Jesuit schools. Robert S. Riley built the campus in classic collegiate Gothic style in 1936. Part of The Exorcist was filmed here. (441 E Fordham Rd., between Webster Ave. and Dr. Theodore Kazimiroff Blvd. S B, D to Fordham Rd./Grand Concourse. ☎718-817-1000, admissions ☎718-817-4000. Arrange campus tours through the admissions office.)

Belmont. This uptown Little Italy offers some of the best Italian food this side of the Atlantic. The main road is Arthur Avenue, where boisterous crowds devour pasta at Dominick’s (see Food, ), between 186th and 187th St. To get a sense of the area, stop into Arthur Avenue Retail Market, 2334 Arthur Ave., between 186th and Crescent St. The indoor market has a cafe, butcher, grocer, cheese shop, and deli. The Church of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel is located at 627 187th St., at Belmont Ave. (☎718-295-3770; Su mass at 8:30, 9:30, 11am in Italian, 12:30, and 7:30pm). Signs of a recent Kosovar influx mark the area—the red flag graces the windows of many stores and eateries. (Centering on Arthur Ave. and E 187th St., near the Southern Blvd. entrance to the Bronx Zoo. S B, D to Fordham Rd./Grand Concourse. Walk 11 blocks east (or take Bx12) to Arthur Ave. and head south.)

Bx12. When riding the Bx12 bus, be sure to verify that it goes all the way to Orchard Beach; the bus travels different routes from the same departure point.

Edgar Allan Poe Cottage. Poe lived in this cottage from 1846 to 1849 with his tubercular cousin and wife, Virginia. The writer married her when he was 26 and she was only 13. Here, Poe wrote “Annabel Lee,” “Eureka,” and “The Bells,” which refers to the bells of nearby Fordham University. The museum, a small clapboard structure, displays a slew of Poe’s manuscripts and macabre effects, including the bed in which his young bride died. The cottage will be closed from spring 2009 until early 2010 as it undergoes renovations. (E Kingsbridge Rd. and Grand Concourse, 5 blocks west of Fordham University. S 4 to Kingsbridge Rd./Jerome Ave. or B, D to Kingsbridge Rd./Grand Concourse. ☎718-881-8900; www.bronxhistoricalsociety.org/poecottage.html. Open Sa 10am-4pm, Su 1-5pm, weekdays for pre-scheduled group tours only. $5; students, children and seniors $3.)