Summer in the City: What To Do In The Bronx

Our Summer in the City series continues, spotlighting great things to do in each borough. Today a look at opportunities for summer fun in the Bronx. ET Rodriguez, local journalist and NYC tour guide, shares her picks for the best things to check out in the Bronx, and we take calls from listeners.

Alison Stewart: This is All Of It. I'm Alison Stewart, live from the WNYC Studios in SoHo. Thank you for spending part of your day with us. I'm really grateful that you're here. On today's show, author Mark Kurlansky will be here to talk about his new novel, Cheesecake. Harpist Brandee Younger has a new album out. She's bringing her band into WNYC Studio 5 for a live performance. We'll hear from Emmy-nominated actor Cristin Milioti about her role as Sofia Falcone Gigante in the crime drama The Penguin. That's our plan, so let's head to the Bronx.

[MUSIC - Luscious Jackson: You and Me]

Alison Stewart: We are continuing our Summer in the City series, highlighting the best things to do in each borough over the summer. Today, we are heading to the Bronx. Journalist Ian Fraser recently declared the Bronx, "New York's greatest borough." Bronx residents surely agree. There's so much to do, from museums to sports to a day at the beach and, of course, a lot of good food. Joining me to discuss some of her favorite things to do in the Bronx is local journalist ET Rodriguez. ET writes frequently for the Bronx Times and is also a licensed tour guide. She's also a major foodie and a self-described pool shark. More on that in a bit. Hey, ET, thanks for coming to the studio.

ET Rodriguez: Oh, my God. So happy to be here.

Alison Stewart: Listeners, we want to hear from you. What's your favorite thing to do in the Bronx in the summertime? What's your favorite restaurant, your favorite park, or museum? Give us a call, 212-433-9692, 212-433-WNYC. Before we get into your list, what's your favorite thing to do in the Bronx in the summertime?

ET Rodriguez: My favorite thing to do in the Bronx all the time is play pool, [laughs] but I have all my friends there, everything. I'm just everywhere. I'm all over the borough all the time.

Alison Stewart: Okay, I was going to say that for the end of the interview, but let's talk about you being a pool shark. When did you start playing pool?

ET Rodriguez: I started bar-hopping in New York City before it was legal for me to do.

Alison Stewart: [laughs]

ET Rodriguez: I was 17 years old when I started playing pool.

Alison Stewart: Where do you go? Where do you like to play?

ET Rodriguez: I actually love The Punch Bowl on 238th and Broadway, right off the 1 train. That building is over 100 years old. Local dive, great place. I also go to Bull McCabes on St. Mark's and then everywhere else.

Alison Stewart: All right. Everybody, look out for ET Rodriguez. She's a pool shark. All right, let's start with the Bronx Dominican Day Parade. It's happening soon. It's July 28th. Where is the parade happening? What should I look for?

ET Rodriguez: Yes, the parade is happening along the Grand Concourse between 167th Street and 176th Street. Dominicans have superseded Puerto Ricans. I'm a Puerto Rican myself. We used to be the dominant Hispanic culture, and we're not anymore, and it's great. Everyone's going to be celebrating there from 11:00 to 5:00. The parade's supposed to kick off around 1:40. Weird time, but fun, and I think it'll be a great time.

Alison Stewart: It's also a festival as well as a parade. What can people see?

ET Rodriguez: Yes, food. A lot of food vendors. A lot of people selling their wares, jewelry, things like that. I'm sure you'll see the Bronx borough president there, Vanessa Gibson. She's literally at every event I cover all the time.

Alison Stewart: [laughs] Anybody you want to see special? Any special performances?

ET Rodriguez: Not that I can think of, honestly, but there will be a lot of music, I'm sure.

Alison Stewart: That's happening on July 28th, the Bronx Dominican Day Parade. All right, our next up is the New York Botanical Garden. We've all heard about this, this beautiful Van Gogh flower show, but you say we should go at night.

ET Rodriguez: Yes, so in conjunction with the Van Gogh Starry Night show, they're also doing a drone show. It's the first of its kind in any cultural institution in New York City. They will have this gorgeous, choreographed drone show at night. It's going to be every weekend in July and August.

Alison Stewart: When you talk about a drone show, it's not like they're coming down from the sky to get you.

[laughter]

Alison Stewart: Explain to me what the drones do.

ET Rodriguez: Yes, they're going to perform a light series. There'll be choreographed lights, which will have designs to them that will be like the Starry Night.

Alison Stewart: This will last through the summer?

ET Rodriguez: This is going to be every weekend in July and August, so July 18th, 19th, 25th, 26th, August 1st, 2nd, 8th, 9th, 15th, 16th, 22nd, 23rd. From 7:30 to 10:00.

Alison Stewart: All right, let's talk to Laura in Riverdale. Hey, Laura, thanks for calling All Of It.

Laura: Hi. How are you?

Alison Stewart: Doing great.

Laura: Yes, I'm just calling because we do run a community space in the Northwest Bronx. It's called KRVC, Kingsbridge-Riverdale-Van Cortlandt Development Corporation. We have a few great events coming up, and I just like for people to know about them, if that's okay.

Alison Stewart: All right. You want to give us the elevator pitch?

Laura: [laughs] We have a space. We promote inclusivity here in the Northwest Bronx. Every Monday for parents, we have free arts and crafts classes with Nina, our art director, from 4:30 to 6:00. You're more than welcome to come and join. We have a new neurodivergent mixer for young adults. That's taking place on July 20th from 2:00 to 5:00 here at the community space. I also would like to invite people to see our art gallery that we are showing. We're showing the work of Francisco Uceda, and it is a gallery that is open to the public. If anyone has any questions, they're more than welcome to follow us @krvc on Instagram, or you can email me at laura4bronx@gmail.com.

Alison Stewart: Laura, thanks for the call. Let's talk to Carl, who's calling in from Miami.

ET Rodriguez: Hey.

Alison Stewart: Hey, Carl, what's up?

Carl: Hi. Alison?

Alison Stewart: Yes.

Carl: Oh, my God. Thank you for your show. You're amazing, and your guest for writing a book about the Bronx, I'm sorry, or the pool shark business. I got lost.

Alison Stewart: [laughs] That's okay. What do you want to shout out?

Carl: The 44 bus. I think it's the longest line in the city anyway, and it takes you from the Bronx Zoo all the way to JFK, I think.

Alison Stewart: Why do you like the 44 bus?

Carl: Because it goes over to Whitestone and you can see Manhattan. Forget about Manhattan head. You can see a large part of Manhattan. Sunset is beautiful, and sunrise is beautiful also in the morning. Yes, it's a great bus, and I love the Bronx Zoo. Bronx Zoo is the best.

Alison Stewart: Awesome. Thanks for calling from Miami, Carl. My guest is Bronx journalist and New York City tour guide ET Rodriguez. We're discussing her selections for the best things to do in the Bronx this summer. Listeners, we want to hear from you. What's your favorite thing to do in the Bronx? Give us a call at 212-433-9692, 212-433-WNYC. Two things to remember. One, if you're driving, please don't call us.

Pull over, then you can give us a call. Not while you're driving. We want to keep everybody safe. Remember, transcripts for this segment will be available later. If you're writing stuff down, don't worry about it. You can catch it on the transcript. All right, let's talk dancing. This is my favorite thing. I can go to Orchard Beach on Sundays. What will I experience if I want to go dancing at Orchard Beach?

ET Rodriguez: Yes, Salsa Sundays. It started back in the 1960s when rogue Puerto Rican DJs would just go out there, play their music. People would come, and it just became a staple of the place. It's a family-friendly event. Kids, older adults, teenagers, everyone is just there to have a good time. You don't have a partner? Don't worry. You'll find one there.

Alison Stewart: Oh, all right.

ET Rodriguez: It is so communal, so friendly, and just such a wonderful time. Usually, it starts around five o'clock, so you don't have to worry about that intense summer heat.

Alison Stewart: Do I have to know how to dance salsa?

ET Rodriguez: No, absolutely not. You just need to have a good time. Just come with an open heart, an open mind. Someone will wrap you up and teach you. I promise.

Alison Stewart: All right, let's say I work up a little bit of something I want to eat, I want to drink. Where else should I go while I'm out there dancing?

ET Rodriguez: Oh, so City Island is right nearby. After you're done at Orchard Beach, you can go to City Island. It's a one-mile stretch. One way in, one way out. Then there's also Cinema on the Sound, which is an independent theater that just opened there.

Alison Stewart: I was going to ask you about this, the special movie theater. Tell me a little more about that.

ET Rodriguez: Yes, so Jerry Landi and Peter Gennari, they opened it in 2023, I believe it was, 2022. The Bronx only has two movie theaters, and we are twice the size of Manhattan. People are just tired of not having that, the borough being overlooked. They opened up this independent theater, and they screen awesome movies there. They hold events. Again, City Island is just focused on seafood. You go there. You go anywhere. You're going to have really good food to eat.

Alison Stewart: All right, so you got a Cinema on the Sound. Say I want dinner, plus the show, what are some of the best seafood restaurants on City Island?

ET Rodriguez: Me, I'm a Bronx chick. People know you go all the way to the end. It's either Johnny's Reef or Tony's Pier. Johnny's Reef is one of my favorites. They're the only place in the Bronx that I believe that sells frog legs. They have the best piña coladas. They have a great clam chowder, cafeteria style, really casual, cash only. If you want something a little more refined, there's also The Black Whale that focuses on American cuisine. Sammy's Fish Box is a favorite amongst everyone there.

Alison Stewart: All right. A vintage hunter on our staff said there's a place that's called dAN's Parents' House.

ET Rodriguez: Yes.

Alison Stewart: dAN's Parents' House. What can I find at dAN's Parents' House?

ET Rodriguez: Oh, it's so cute, so niche. You'll find old Simpsons memorabilia, old action figures, pins, just anything you can find that's really quirky at a vintage shop. It's very laid-back and very small, and you navigate through these little spaces.

Alison Stewart: Well, it's dAN's Parents' House.

ET Rodriguez: Yes, exactly.

[laughter]

Alison Stewart: Let's take a couple of calls. Let's talk to Marilyn, who is calling in from Chelsea. Hi, Marilyn. Thanks for making the time to call All Of It.

Marilyn: Hi, Alison. Thanks for taking my call. I look forward to going back to Orchard Beach during this segment. I wanted to give some love to The Lit. Bar. It's a bookstore established by a woman who's a native from the Bronx. It's lovely with a great selection of socially committed books, and it's got wonderful readings. I so enjoyed going to one of the readings and standing on this long line that swirled around the block and chatting with the other people online. I heard about The Lit. Bar on The Brian Lehrer Show.

Alison Stewart: There you go. We're big fans of The Lit. Bar at All Of It as well.

ET Rodriguez: Yes, really nice place. That whole area, Mott Haven, is changing quite a bit. There are so many wonderful spots to go there. Some places have closed, unfortunately, but new places are opening.

Alison Stewart: Let's talk to Ryann, who is calling from the Bronx. Ryann, you are on the air.

Ryann: Hey, thanks for having me on. Thanks for doing this segment, giving some love to the Bronx. There is so much to be in love with in this borough. I think it's a community that gets a bad rap like Bronx slander is a very popular thing in this city. For me, my favorite thing in New York to do, in the Bronx, rather, and it's a weird observational people watching thing, is to go to Joyce Kilmer Park. It's that park right outside of Bronx Borough Hall at 161st on the concourse, directly up the block from Yankee Stadium.

Go on a Yankee game day and watch the single-most diverse confluence of humans you will ever see in your life in one place. There is a party in the corner. There are some people selling some now recreationally legal, though the way they're doing it, not legal substances. On another corner, there's a quinceañera in the middle, and a baseball game being played by guys who just got off the Metro-North to go see a Yankee game all at once. It is a fascinating case study in how diverse New York actually is.

Alison Stewart: Ryann, thanks so much for calling in. It's a Yankee game, adjacent piece of advice. You go to a Yankee game, but then you said you should go out of your way to eat at Porto Salvo restaurant. You wrote, "Porto Salvo is a gem of a restaurant tucked away on 161st Street like a buried treasure."

ET Rodriguez: Yes, absolutely.

Alison Stewart: Tell me about who runs the restaurant, what makes it special.

ET Rodriguez: Yes, it's a husband-and-husband team. Mark and Luigi, I believe, are their names. They tout not having Wi-Fi, and they say, "Pretend it's the 1990s, and talk to each other," but they do wonderful Italian food. They brought in an Italian chef to really focus on the place. Fantastic wine list. Octopus carpaccio, which I feel you can't really find in a lot of places, and a maritime theme. It's just beautiful. Wonderful place to go. They also opened a sushi place right across the street.

Alison Stewart: I was going to say, if you're not feeling Italian food right about now, it's hot, where else should I go?

ET Rodriguez: Right across the street, there's Minato that they opened. They also brought in a Japanese chef to keep it authentic. They also have the only outdoor Japanese garden in the Bronx.

Alison Stewart: Oh, interesting. All right, there's a speakeasy near Yankee Stadium. You're not going to tell us the exact address?

ET Rodriguez: No.

Alison Stewart: Can you give us a hint so that people can find it on their own?

ET Rodriguez: Yes, so it's a bodega. You go in. You pay bodega prices. You grab your beer. Walk to the back. In the back, there's this little speakeasy area where you can drink. It's near the stadium. It's somewhere between Jerome and the Grand Concourse, and that's all I'll say.

Alison Stewart: That's all she'll say. Our next guest is James, is calling from Hunts Point. Hi, James, you're on the air.

James: Hey, thanks for having me. I agree with every one of your wonderful callers, so I don't have to say any of that. ET's been to our spot, Bronxlandia, where we do live music, local musicians every Thursday from 7:00 to 10:00. It's free entry, good drinks, and then we out because it's a school night.

Alison Stewart: All right, tell us about Bronxlandia.

ET Rodriguez: Bronxlandia, it's the old Hunts Point train station. It's a gorgeous building. From the outside, I remember when I passed by, I thought it was abandoned for a while. Then I saw the doors open. Me being the curious journalist I am, I walked in. I said, "What is going on here?" I met this lovely couple that's been founding it. They also own Boogie Down Grind, which is a cafe in Hunts Point that also holds events. Just a really nice communal place. The Bronx is just so communal. People love you. Like the other caller said, it gets a bad rap. Bronx sites are friendly.

Alison Stewart: We are talking about the best things to do in the Bronx with New York City tour guide and Bronx journalist ET Rodriguez. If you'd like to add to the conversation, our phone number is 212-433-9692, 212-433-WNYC. After the break, we'll talk about the Bronx Documentary Center as well as some historic houses. Stay with us.

[music]

Alison Stewart: You're listening to All Of It on WNYC. I'm Alison Stewart. My guest in studio is journalist and New York City tour guide ET Rodriguez. She is going through all of the great things you can do in the Bronx. We got so many texts. I'm just going to read them out. This one says, "As a Fordham alum, I am all things Arthur Avenue. Best ravioli in NYC can be found at Borgatti's on East 187th Street."

"Bronx born and raised. I paused on my way out the door to Orchard Beach to listen to the segment. Then on my way down to Johnny's on the tip of City Island for budget seafood and trinket shopping." "Favorite Bronx activity is trail running in Van Cortlandt Park. I recently discovered an excellent Bronx art Substack called 'Art All Around Us,' substack.com. It lists all the artistic goings-on in Bronx in a clear, concise way. Highly recommend."

This last one says, "When you're on City Island, you got to check out City Island Oyster Reef. They're a group that aims to restore the oyster population around the island and engage with the community. Check out their website with tons of opportunities to get out on the water, and get your hands dirty doing some amazing conservation-restoration work." Thanks for all of your texts that you sent to us. All right, let's talk about the Bronx Documentary Center. Who founded it?

ET Rodriguez: Michael Kamber. He was a war photojournalist for The New York Times. He bought the building outright.

Alison Stewart: Oh wow.

ET Rodriguez: Yes, and he provides just so many amazing things. He teaches adults and teenagers how to use manual cameras, how to videograph. They have this wonderful exhibit going on right now. It's the 8th annual Latin American Foto Festival. It's just capturing Bronxites in their environment in real time and just making beauty of the everyday.

Alison Stewart: We've got somebody who actually has something they want to say about the Bronx Documentary Center. I think it's BC from Montclair. Hey, BC, you're on the air.

BC: Hey, Alison, how are you? I'm so glad to talk to you. You inspired me to want to get into journalism. However, I went to law school, but that's another story for another day.

[laughter]

BC: Nevertheless, though, no, the Bronx Documentary Center, I believe, is a hidden gem. I try to tell everybody about it just because it really is located in the heart of the South Bronx. It is very community-oriented. This is a place that this photography could be seen anywhere, but it's located in the South Bronx. I think that's something very special about their mission and what they try to do.

I also just want to shout out really quickly, not too far away from the Bronx Documentary Center, but the Puerto Rican traveling theater, Pregones. They're located in the South Bronx. However, they do have a theater that's located, I think, in the '40s, somewhere between 8th and 9th. Very high-level productions. A lot of great art centered around Puerto Rican culture. It's just really, really good. It's just two places that, normally, people might not know about, so I can throw out those hidden gems. I've done my work for today.

Alison Stewart: See, you've been a journalist. See, you found these hidden gems and you shared them with people, so thank you, BC. Let's talk to Stephen in Melrose. Hey, Stephen, thanks for calling All Of It. You are on the air.

Stephen: Thank you very much. I just wanted to give a quick plug to Bronx Music Hall, Bronx Music Heritage Center here in Melrose on East 163rd Street and Elton Avenue. They just opened back. I think it was about November 1st, 2024. I think the word still needs to get out that they have great programming. It's a kind of evolving calendar as they get establishment or established. I think coming up, they have a spoken word performance. They have Puerto Rican vaudeville performance coming up. Also, some Latin dance groups are scheduled to perform in the evenings as well.

I should also say that they offer classes, free or low-cost, to anybody that wants to learn music and dance. Salsa, conga, guitar. It's just a wonderful facility for the neighborhood and for the Bronx. Great for people who are visiting the Bronx for the first time as a kind of intro to what makes the Bronx great. Also, within just a mere spitting distance of Minato. I think somebody mentioned Minato and Porto Salvo, two now venerable restaurant outposts here on the block between Melrose and Elton, 3rd Avenue on East 161st Street.

Alison Stewart: Thank you so much for calling in. We appreciate it. I want to talk about The Bronx Museum of the Arts. This has been such a big deal. You've been covering it since it started its renovation. Tell us a little bit about it.

ET Rodriguez: Yes, the old executive director, Klaudio Rodriguez, left, and they just appointed a brand new one. I'm really excited to see what she has in store. They're currently undergoing a nearly $50 million expansion or, as Klaudio put it, a rebirth. They have this exhibit that's going on there that's incredibly interactive. It's an installation, I would say, more than an exhibit. I want more people to go there. Every time I go, I feel like I'm the only one. Sometimes it's nice to have a museum all to yourself, but you just want others to really enjoy it as well.

Alison Stewart: Through the renovation, through what you've heard and what you reported, what is the museum hoping to accomplish with the renovation?

ET Rodriguez: They definitely want to create more of a communal space. They want the people around to know it's there and come there. They also are thinking of doing an outdoor space where they might hold daycare or something for the community. They're toying with the idea of what they want to do there, but they are stressing community first for that space.

Alison Stewart: Let's talk to Marilyn, who is calling from the Bronx. Thanks for making the time to talk to us, Marilyn.

Marilyn: Hi. Thank you, Alison. Yes, I want to give a shout-out for two things. African American food on City Island. The place called Seafood Kingz, K-I-N-G-Z. It's the first one you come to when you go on that main strip, right? It's on the other end from the ones that were named. The food is fabulous. It's not generic-tasting seafood. It's soulfully-seasoned seafood. People don't realize it's there. You go right by it to go into the other end. Seafood Kingz, I want to give them a shout-out.

Also, I live in the Northeast Bronx. This has got to be the best Jamaican food outside of Jamaica. There's hardly a block you can go on and not have just fabulous Jamaican food. I haven't heard anybody call it out. One of my favorite places is the Food Hut on Boston Road and Eastchester Road. Fabulous every day of the week, soups, just everything. There's a lot of gems in Northeast Bronx as well.

Alison Stewart: We appreciate it. Sheila is calling in from Manhattan. Hey, Sheila, where do you like to go in the Bronx?

Sheila: Com Tam Ninh Kieu, which is this Vietnamese spot on Jerome and Kingsbridge Road. It's like a hole in the wall, but they recently renovated. They're Michelin-starred. It's just Vietnamese food like no other. It's these chicken wings and flat shrimp dumplings that are flaky. They're just perfect, perfect. Brand new in ways that I know no one else has this stuff. It's so good. Anytime I'm in the Bronx, usually, I'm doing hot yoga in the Kingsbridge area, and then I take the Bx9. You can take the 4. It's just unbelievably good, this place. It's like my headquarters. I probably shouldn't give it away, but it exists in the world.

Alison Stewart: [laughs] I'll ask you even way a little more. You know what? I'm going to ask you to spell it for people.

Sheila: Com is C-O-M. Tam, T-A-M. Ninh, N-I-N-H. Kieu, it's K-I-E-U. I learned how to say it because [laughs] it's that good.

Alison Stewart: Thanks for calling. We really appreciate it. ET, let's talk about some old historic homes we can visit. Andrew Freedman Home, which was built 101 years ago. I understand, it's just massive.

ET Rodriguez: Massive. It's this gorgeous building. It's as big inside as it is outside. It's one long block. You can walk right by it because it's hidden by trees. You don't notice it. It's diagonally across the street from The Bronx Museum of the Arts. They usually hold exhibits there. They're lacking an artistic director. Anyone who's an artistic director or wants to hold exhibits, please, please, please talk to them. Do it. They're doing the Bronx Vegan Bazaar every Wednesday. They're holding it there, or I believe it's once a month. I'm not sure, but they're doing it. They're pushing a lot of healthy eating now in the Bronx, and people should really go. It has a beautiful outdoor area as well.

Alison Stewart: Also, another home people can visit, Van Cortlandt House Museum, which is built in 1759. What will we see there?

ET Rodriguez: Yes, the Van Cortlandts were one of the founding settlers of the Bronx from the Netherlands. This was their mansion. You'll see their old home with all the old wares and the furniture. There's the Van Cortlandt pool nearby. There's the famous Carrot Top Bakery across the street and Santa Fe Grill and Jake's Steakhouse. If you go there, once you get out, there's so much to do.

Alison Stewart: Finally, Edgar Allan Poe Cottage.

ET Rodriguez: Yes.

Alison Stewart: What will we see at Edgar Allan Poe Cottage?

ET Rodriguez: His home where he lived, where his wife Virginia died, and where his mother-in-law lived with him as well. It's a beautiful little place. Actually, if you do go to the Vietnamese place on Jerome Avenue, you just have to walk a couple of blocks east, and you'll be at the Edgar Allan Poe Cottage. It's just nice trip through time, if you like.

Alison Stewart: Let's talk to, I hope I'm saying this right, Anghelina, who is calling from the Bronx.

Anghelina: Hi, this is Anghelina from the Bronx, born and raised. I'm so glad that you're doing this on my borough. I love my borough. There are so many amazing things. Very quickly, some of our favorite things to do are going canoeing from the Bronx River Alliance over at Starlight Park, and some amazing food that I feel like is under the radar. One of the last few Cuban Chinese places. Now, it's also Cuban Dominican.

It's called Sabrosura on Castle Hill Avenue. While you're there, Juices for Life. Also, it's a great juice bar that was founded by The Lox. Over in Riverdale, there's Moss Café. On White Plains Road right outside of Parkchester, there's a really great Dominican place called Ajo y Oregano, I think. There's just so much amazing food and culture and great things to do in my borough. I hope more people come and experience it.

Alison Stewart: We appreciate it. Martin is calling in. Martin, what do you want to mention?

Martin: Oh, hi, Alison. I've called in before because I am a Bronxite my whole life. Nobody has mentioned so far. Beautiful 28 acres in the North Bronx, Riverdale area of Wave Hill. It's a cultural center. They have also somewhat of a botanical garden. It's just a very nice place to escape to.

Alison Stewart: Thank you so much for calling in. Yes, you had on your list, Wave Hill, but you also had a recommendation for a place to eat that, apparently, millennials and Gen Zers are loving.

ET Rodriguez: Oh, BOKAGUÁ.

Alison Stewart: Is that it?

ET Rodriguez: Yes, I believe that's it. It means watery mouth in Spanish. It's opened last year. It's super trendy, super hip, a Dominican Asian fusion. People just love it. New York Times wrote about it. It's right by there, also on the same block as Tin Marin, which has been in the neighborhood for almost 15 years. Aoyu is one of my favorite sushi places on Johnson Avenue nearby. Anywhere you go, there's just a whole strip of restaurants there. You can't go wrong.

Alison Stewart: Anything you want to mention in our last 45 seconds?

ET Rodriguez: Oh, my God. Got to represent my Puerto Ricans. Puerto Ricans are having a moment right now, Bad Bunny topping the charts. Made in Puerto Rico and Salsa Con Fuego are two venues that have Puerto Rican food, but they also do dancing. They have big venues for dancing. Made in Puerto Rico does Saturday Salsa Brunch, Latin Thursday nights, and Salsa Con Fuego right off on the end of Fordham Road where Jimmy's Bronx Cafe used to be. That's all I have to say, wepa. [chuckles]

Alison Stewart: My guest was Bronx journalist and New York City tour guide ET Rodriguez. Thanks for walking us through the Bronx.

ET Rodriguez: Oh, my God. Thank you.