New York in the raw

I first visited the Bronx six years ago.

As a Columbia University journalism student, I had been assigned a portion of the South Bronx to report on for a semester as part of my curriculum. It was my first time living in New York, and the notion of reporting from the Bronx struck fear into the hearts of some in our class. We would be spending the better part of our days wandering the area looking for stories, meeting locals and riding along with police.

Over the course of those months, my classmates and I wrote about drug addiction, shootings, park openings, the decline of mom and pop shops and urban slaughterhouses (a curious staple of the area). We got to know the Bronx inside and out, from Fordham in the north all the way to Hunt's Point, the home of New York's biggest wholesale fish market, in the south. It was an eye-opening experience.

This fall, I returned to the South Bronx along with a foreign friend who was curious about New York's most notorious borough. I wasn't sure what to expect.

The South Bronx is not an obvious tourist destination. While not dangerous to visit, the only marquee attractions are Yankee Stadium and the architecture on the nearby Grand Concourse. But that doesn't mean the borough's toughest 'hood – only a few subway stops from Manhattan – doesn't have a lot to offer.

For those urban explorers who want to see a different side of one of the world's most well-trodden cities, the South Bronx offers a slice of something increasingly difficult to find (yet much buzzed-about in the travel world): "authenticity." This is New York in the raw: no reclaimed wood, no filament light bulbs and no avocado on toast. From Riverdale downward, the borough is a kaleidoscope of ethnicities, backgrounds and incomes.

Unlike the richer, more northern portion of the New York borough, home to the Bronx Zoo and the city's two largest parks, the South Bronx has been associated with urban blight for decades.

The decline began around the early 1960s, with the construction of public housing and the Cross Bronx Expressway. Shifting demographics, economic changes, and the disruptive nature of these major projects led to rapid urban decay, which was worsened by the crack epidemic of the 1980s. With depreciating property values, landlords infamously began burning tenement buildings to collect insurance money.

This notoriety was solidified during a 1977 World Series between the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers, when ABC news cameras cut from the game to nearby building fires. Legend has it that while speaking on-air, sports journalist Howard Cosell supposedly commented, "There it is, ladies and gentlemen, the Bronx is burning" – a phrase now long associated with the area.

Today, things have changed, just not at the speed of Brooklyn. The South Bronx is far from being gentrified – particularly the Mott Haven neighbourhood, where 40 per cent of its residents live below the poverty line – though housing prices are rising fast. Most streets are filled with coin laundromats, corner delis with schoolkids out front waiting for hot sandwiches and dollar stores.

Instead of fancy coffee shops, change in the South Bronx has come from the opening of subsidized supermarkets (the area was once and, to an extent, continues to be, a "food desert" where fresh produce is in short supply), chain stores and banks – ATMs shockingly difficult to find until recently.

The Opera House hotel, which opened last year, adds new possibilities to the area and a more reasonably priced option for travellers looking to avoid the jaw-dropping prices of Manhattan. The hotel, with a storied history and an elegant façade, seems out of place on a busy stretch of 149th Street but perhaps won't be for long.

As I walked the streets with my friend, I quickly discovered I couldn't follow my old routines as many places had disappeared, although a few favourite haunts remained.

For the beginner, a stop at Mott Haven Bar and Grill is a baby step into the borough. Just across the bridge from the island, the bar and restaurant offers upscale food, a more refined setting and a crowd of locals mixed with curious Manhattanites.

From there, the loft spaces along Bruckner Boulevard eventually give way to high-rise project buildings along Willis Avenue, which quickly turns into the area's main thoroughfare for shopping. It's also worth checking out 140 th Street's lovely row houses that recall an earlier era and then tuck into La Morada, a Mexican restaurant that serves delicious mole sauces and tacos that are half the price of those found in more hip areas of New York.

A visitor soon realizes that most restaurants in the South Bronx are best described as "no frills." The Feeding Tree is no exception. This Jamaican spot near Yankee Stadium is basic but the food is anything but. Order at the counter and then enjoy oxtail stew, mac and cheese and fried plantains at bargain prices.

Keeping with the Jamaican theme, as a student, I was a frequent visitor of Concourse Jamaica Bakery for the beef patties and carrot bread. Heading back after many years, I found the flavours were the same – as was the type of crowd lining up for the tiny bakery's prepared foods.

When I took a break from interviewing, I would head to Nano Billiards, a pool hall and lunch counter that I later discovered was described by Serious Eats, a local food website, as "New York's best Dominican restaurant." The place is still there, serving various cuts of stewed pork and flavourful rice next to pool tables.

I also recommend you muster the courage to try one of the ubiquitous fried-chicken spots, usually served behind bulletproof glass. I was once a frequenter of Colony Fried Chicken, a sterile joint that dishes out delicious – if not positively indulgent – morsels.

And if you want a true South Bronx experience, get a haircut. During my reporting days, one of the most vital sources of information was one of the area's dozen or so barbershops – places of gossip, ideas and soliloquies from local celebrities. It's easy to chat with the loiterers who tell tall tales and, most definitely, provide running commentary about the cut you're getting, while a television blares hip hop in the background.

Of course, for lovers of hip hop, the South Bronx is a pilgrimage place of sorts. The 1982 song The Message by Grandmaster and the Furious Five, which described the group's South Bronx home as broke and full of despair, arguably helped bring the music into the mainstream. It is said that hip hop and its culture stemmed from parties thrown by DJ Kool Herc and his sister in the recreation room at 1520 Sedgwick Ave. The building isn't much to look at but is a shrine to lovers of the genre, along with the constantly changing mural of Big Punisher, the Bronx's favourite son, who died nearly 17 years ago and remains one of the most respected rap lyricists ever.

Some Bronx creations never achieved such worldwide recognition, however.

Before boarding the 2 train at 149 th Street to head back to Manhattan, I used to head to any random corner deli – the kind with grungy windows and a house cat roaming around – and order a chopped cheese sandwich. The bun, filled with mystery meat and processed melted cheese, is a kind of outer-borough delicacy that most Manhattanites just don't understand.

So as my friend and I headed back into the city, the sound of foil unwrapping and the smell of melted Kraft singles on crispy bread brought me back to an earlier time.

Despite what people may think, the Bronx isn't the place of ill-repute that was portrayed for decades in popular culture. Instead, the neighbourhood is a glimpse into a city that everyone thinks they know – but of which they haven't really scratched the surface.

If you go

Where to eat and drink

Concourse Jamaica Bakery: Serving up Jamaican food and pastries at a crowded counter. 252 E 167th St.

The Feeding Tree: Basic but delicious Caribbean food at Bronx prices. 892 Gerard Ave.

Nano Billiards Cafe: Lunch counter and billiards hall serving Dominican stews and home-style food. 185 E 167th St.

La Morada: Tacos and stewed meats in various moles. 308 Willis Ave.

Mott Haven Bar and Grill: The closest you'll get to Brooklyn-style gentrification, serving local beers and upscale bar food. 1 Bruckner Blvd.

Colony Fried Chicken: Fast food-style fried chicken served in a paper basket. 864 Prospect Ave.

What to see

Bronx Museum of the Arts: Contemporary art and education space along the Bronx's famous Grand Concourse. 1040 Grand Concourse

1520 Sedgwick: The nondescript high-rise next to the highway where it is said hip hop was born. 1520 Sedgwick Ave.

Big Punisher Mural: The Bronx's favourite Boricua is constantly reinvented in this ever-changing mural next to a gas station. 910 Rogers Place

Yankee Stadium: The iconic, yet recently (re)built, shrine to all things New York baseball. 1 E 161st St.

Bronx Documentary Center: A photography space opened by a former New York Times photographer, specializing in issue-oriented photojournalism. 614 Courtlandt Ave.

Alexander Besant