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New York: The Bronx Zoo
🦁 Back to the Bronx Zoo — A Nostalgic Return
When we first relocated to the United States many years ago, we landed in Westchester County, New York — just north of the Bronx, for those who aren’t familiar with the geography. Our children were young at the time, and after our very first visit to the Bronx Zoo, we didn’t hesitate. We signed up for an annual family membership on the spot and kept it going for five solid years. Looking back, it was genuinely one of the best things we ever did as a family. We visited that zoo more times than we could count and, remarkably, never once got bored — which, if you knew our children, was something of a minor miracle.
Fast forward fifteen years, and things had changed rather a lot. The children were now young adults with their own opinions about things — which is, frankly, exhausting — and we’d developed what we liked to think of as a more enlightened attitude towards zoos. We’d much rather travel and see wildlife in their natural habitats these days, elephants roaming the Serengeti and that sort of thing, rather than watching them pace around behind glass. All very noble, yes. Yet, despite all that high-minded thinking, when we found ourselves back in New York on a recent trip, we were drawn back to the Bronx Zoo. Nostalgia will do that to you. It’s like being magnetically pulled back to a kebab shop you haven’t visited since 1987 — you know you’re going, it’s just a question of how quickly.
🌅 An Early Start — Always a Good Idea
So, on a Saturday morning in early July, we arrived just as the gates were opening. This, we remembered immediately, was a very smart move. The queues to get in were virtually non-existent — a rare and beautiful thing in New York, where queuing for anything is treated as both an art form and a competitive sport. The moment we passed through the entrance, the memories came flooding back. There we were, for the first time in fifteen years, heading straight for our favourite exhibits — without two young children in tow, which was simultaneously liberating and just the tiniest bit melancholy.
Over the next three hours or so, we wandered at our own pace, which was considerably more leisurely than it had ever been with small children demanding ice cream every twelve minutes. It was a fabulous experience — genuinely. No herding, no minor meltdowns over who got to see the penguins first, no negotiations about whether the gift shop counted as an educational experience. Just us, the animals, and a very agreeable Saturday morning. The Bronx Zoo, it turns out, is just as good without children as it is with them. Perhaps better, though we’d never say that out loud.
🌍 Wildlife Exhibits — The Real Reason You’re Here
The Bronx Zoo covers a substantial amount of ground — 265 acres, in fact, making it one of the largest urban zoos in the world. It first opened its gates back in November 1899, founded by the New York Zoological Society, and has been pulling in visitors ever since. Most of the animals are housed in large, naturalistic enclosures broadly grouped by geographic region — Africa, Asia, and so on — which at least gives the whole place a sense of order and logic, something New York City itself could occasionally do with a bit more of.
In the Africa section, you’ll find zebras, giraffes, and white rhinoceroses wandering about in spaces that genuinely feel open and well-considered. Asia features tigers, snow leopards, and red pandas — the red pandas alone being worth the entrance fee. Everything is well signposted, and maps are available at the entrance and dotted around the park, so there’s really no excuse for getting lost, though we managed it anyway.
The best way to explore is simply on foot, and with 265 acres to cover, you’ll want a comfortable pair of shoes and, ideally, a realistic understanding of your own fitness levels. That said, there are also transport options available within the zoo — a monorail, a tram, and a few other rides — which come in handy when your knees start making that noise they’ve been making since your late fifties. These are typically included in certain ticket packages or available for a small additional fee, depending on the time of year.
🦍 Congo Gorilla Forest — An Absolute Must
Of all the exhibits at the Bronx Zoo, the Congo Gorilla Forest remained, without question, our all-time favourite. It always had been, and we were quietly relieved to find it still deserved the title.
The experience began on a trail cleverly designed to feel as though you’d been teleported to the Congo Basin in Central Africa — one of the most biodiverse rainforest regions on the planet. The outdoor section in July was genuinely humid enough to be convincing, which was either atmospheric or deeply unpleasant depending on your tolerance for sweating. Along the way we encountered some wonderful supporting cast members: the strikingly beautiful Okapi — that extraordinary animal that looks like someone assembled it from leftover parts of three different creatures — along with Colobus Monkeys sporting their magnificent black-and-white Cruella De Vil hairdos, and the brilliantly odd Red River Hogs, whose ears wouldn’t look out of place on Yoda.
Then came the gorillas. In pre-Covid days, you’d enter a small theatre, watch a short film about mountain gorilla conservation, and then the curtains would draw back to reveal the troop — genuinely magical every single time. Sadly, the theatre remained closed, a lingering casualty of the pandemic. But the spacious viewing area beyond it was still wonderful. The troop was large and lively, with juveniles and babies tumbling about — always the crowd pleasers, and rightly so.
Don’t skip this one.
🌿 JungleWorld
JungleWorld was, without question, one of the highlights of our visit. It opened back in 1985 and was genuinely groundbreaking at the time — a vast indoor exhibit designed to recreate the sights, sounds, and frankly the humidity of a South and Southeast Asian tropical forest. The place is enormous, with soaring open spaces kept at a carefully controlled temperature and humidity level year-round. In July this felt pleasantly atmospheric. In the depths of a New York winter, when the temperature outside is doing something deeply unpleasant and personal to your face, walking into JungleWorld feels less like a zoo visit and more like a minor miracle.
Inside, you’ll find an impressive variety of exotic birds swooping overhead — largely unbothered by the visitors gawping at them from below — along with several species of monkey going about their business with considerably more dignity than the average tourist. There are jaguars prowling their enclosure with that particular air of aristocratic disdain that big cats seem to have perfected. A personal favourite was the tapir — an animal that looks, improbably, like a pig that got into an argument with an anteater and lost. And then there are the gharials: long-snouted, fish-eating relatives of the crocodile, originally from the rivers of northern India, and genuinely one of the more extraordinary-looking creatures you’re likely to encounter without boarding a plane.
🦎 Madagascar! — Where the Lemurs Live
The Madagascar! exhibit opened in 2008, which was, as it happens, right around the time we packed up and headed off on our West Coast adventure. So this was entirely new to us — a proper discovery rather than a nostalgic revisit, which made a pleasant change.
The name, as you’ve probably worked out, is something of a clue. The exhibit is dedicated entirely to the extraordinary wildlife of Madagascar — the vast African island that somehow managed to evolve in almost complete isolation for around 88 million years, producing plants and animals found absolutely nowhere else on earth. It’s the world’s fourth largest island, the second largest island nation after Indonesia, and by almost any measure, one of the most biologically peculiar places on the planet.
The star attraction, without question, is the lemur. They look a bit like monkeys at first glance — until you notice the pointed nose and the slightly unsettling stare — but they’re an entirely separate genus with no close relatives outside Madagascar. There are around 100 known species, every single one of them native to the island.
Like the Congo Gorilla Forest, this is an indoor exhibit with a controlled tropical climate, which makes it a genuinely sensible destination on a cold winter visit.
🚝 Wild Asia Monorail — Sit Down Before Your Knees Give Out
After covering what feels like half the eastern seaboard on foot, the Wild Asia Monorail comes as a very welcome relief. The station sits right next to JungleWorld, and frankly, by the time we got there, the prospect of sitting down for twenty minutes felt genuinely exciting — which tells you everything you need to know about getting older.
It’s a circular route that crosses the Bronx River and winds past a series of large open enclosures housing various Asian antelope and oxen. With any luck, you’ll also spot Asian elephants, Indian rhinos, and tigers. The enclosures are impressively spacious — great for the animals, though it does mean your chances of a dramatic close-up encounter are variable at best. The cars are open-sided with three rows of seats, so bag the front row if you can. Just bear in mind that in winter, open-sided means exactly that — bring a coat, or deeply regret not doing so.
Queues can build up surprisingly quickly, so either head there first thing when the zoo opens, or circle back near closing time when the crowds have thinned. Either way, don’t skip it.
Planning your visit to the Bronx Zoo
🦁 Bronx Zoo
| 📍 Location | 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460 | 🕖 Opening Times | Daily, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Mon–Fri); 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM (Sat–Sun & holidays) |
| 🌐 Website | bronxzoo.com | 📞 Phone | (718) 220-5100 |
🚇 Getting There
| 🚇 Subway | Lines 2 or 5 to West Farms Square–East Tremont Ave, then 5–10 min walk to Southern Boulevard Gate | 🚌 Bus | BX9 or BX19 to 183rd St & Southern Blvd (Gate C); BX12 or BX22 to Fordham Rd, then walk 5 blocks south |
| 🚆 Metro-North | Harlem Line to Fordham Station, then BX9 bus east to 183rd St & Southern Blvd | 🚗 By Car | Southern Boulevard parking lot recommended; parking fills quickly on peak days — public transport advised |
🎟️ Entry Fees
| Adult (13+) | Child (3–12) | Senior (65+) | Under 2 | Wednesdays |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| From $38.70 | From $28.70 | From $33.25 | Free | Free (advance reservation required) |
ℹ️ The zoo operates flex pricing — tickets are cheaper when booked in advance and during off-peak times. All visitors must book date-specific tickets online in advance; walk-up purchases are not available. The full Admission ticket includes all Star Attractions. A Limited Admission ticket is cheaper but excludes Star Attractions (available separately at $7 each). Closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, and Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Last entry is 45 minutes before closing; animal exhibits close 30 minutes before closing.
Visiting New York City
✈️ Getting There
By Air
New York is served by three major airports. John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), in the borough of Queens, handles the majority of transatlantic flights and is the largest of the three. Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) is situated in New Jersey, just across the Hudson, and is a popular and often cheaper alternative. LaGuardia Airport (LGA) is the closest to Midtown Manhattan but handles primarily domestic routes.
All international visitors will pass through US Customs and Border Protection on arrival, regardless of which airport they land at. Be prepared for queues and have your documentation ready.
Entry Requirements & ESTA
Most visitors from countries participating in the US Visa Waiver Programme — including the UK, most of Europe, Australia, and New Zealand — do not need a full visa for stays of up to 90 days, but they do need an approved Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) before travelling. The ESTA costs $40.27 and is valid for two years or until your passport expires, whichever is sooner. It must be secured at least 72 hours before departure. Apply only through the official US government website to avoid third-party scam sites that charge inflated fees.
Ensure your passport is valid for at least six months beyond your intended date of departure from the US. If you have previously visited certain countries — Cuba after January 2021, for example — you may not be eligible for ESTA and will need to apply for a B-2 tourist visa instead.
Getting from the Airport into the City
From JFK, the AirTrain connects to the subway system (the A line or the Jamaica Station hub for the Long Island Rail Road), giving you a relatively affordable route into Manhattan. Uber, Lyft, and licensed yellow taxis are widely available. Yellow taxis charge a flat fare from JFK to Manhattan.
From Newark, an AirTrain connects to Newark Penn Station, where you can board NJ Transit trains into Manhattan’s Penn Station.
From LaGuardia, there is no direct rail link; buses connect to the subway network, and rideshare apps are the most convenient option.
Be cautious of unofficial “taxi” drivers who approach you inside the arrivals hall. Always use the official taxi rank outside or book a rideshare through the app directly.
🚇 Getting Around
The Subway
The subway is the backbone of the city and the fastest, most affordable way to get around. It runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week — one of very few urban rail systems in the world to do so. Lines are identified by letters and numbers, and whilst the map can look daunting at first, the system is logical once you understand that express trains skip stops and local trains stop at every station.
The old MetroCard swipe system has now been phased out. The city has fully transitioned to OMNY (One Metro New York), a contactless tap-and-pay system. Simply tap your contactless credit or debit card, smartphone, or smartwatch on the reader at the turnstile. If you prefer, you can also purchase a physical OMNY card from vending machines in any subway station. A single fare costs $3, and there is a weekly fare cap — once you have paid for 12 trips in a seven-day period, additional rides are free for the remainder of that week. Children under 44 inches (roughly 112 cm) tall travel for free.
Note that if you are using an overseas bank card, your bank may occasionally flag the first transaction as suspicious. It is worth taking a short test ride when you first arrive to verify your card works smoothly.
Buses
MTA buses cover areas of the city not well served by the subway and use the same OMNY tap-and-pay system. They are a good option for crosstown journeys in Manhattan, where the subway’s north-south orientation can be less convenient.
Taxis & Rideshares
Yellow taxis are iconic and plentiful in Manhattan. Uber and Lyft are widely used and often convenient, particularly late at night or when travelling with luggage. Avoid pedicabs (cycle rickshaws) unless you agree a fixed price in advance — they are notorious for charging tourists eye-watering amounts.
Walking & Cycling
Manhattan’s grid layout makes it one of the most walkable cities in the world. Many neighbourhoods are best explored on foot. Citi Bike, the city’s dockless bike-share scheme, is popular and relatively affordable, particularly for short hops between neighbourhoods.
Cars
Hiring a car in the city is not recommended. Traffic congestion is severe, parking is expensive and scarce, and the subway and walking will get you where you need to go more quickly and cheaply. Consider a car only if you are planning to venture outside the city limits.
🏙️ Neighbourhoods to Explore
Manhattan offers an enormous variety of experiences within a relatively compact area. Midtown is home to many of the city’s most iconic landmarks — Times Square, the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, Grand Central Terminal, and the Museum of Modern Art. It is central, well-connected, and a natural base for first-time visitors.
The High Line, a repurposed elevated railway turned public park, runs through Chelsea on the west side, connecting to Hudson Yards at one end and the Meatpacking District at the other. Chelsea is also a hub for contemporary art galleries.
Greenwich Village and the West Village retain a bohemian character, with tree-lined streets, independent cafés, and a rich literary and artistic history. SoHo is known for its cast-iron architecture and high-end shopping. Tribeca, once an industrial area colonised by artists, is now one of the most exclusive neighbourhoods in the city.
Downtown’s Financial District contains Wall Street, the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, and the Oculus — the striking transit hub and shopping centre near the World Trade Center site.
Uptown, Central Park divides the Upper West Side from the Upper East Side. The latter is home to Museum Mile, a stretch of Fifth Avenue that includes the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim, the Frick Collection, and several others. Harlem, to the north, has a vibrant cultural identity rooted in African-American history and is well worth a visit.
Brooklyn’s neighbourhoods are increasingly popular with visitors. Williamsburg has a thriving food and nightlife scene. DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) offers spectacular views of the Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan skyline. Brooklyn Heights is one of the city’s most elegant residential areas.
Best Time to Visit New York City
🌸 Spring (March – May)
Spring is widely regarded as one of the most delightful times to visit New York City. Temperatures climb gradually from around 7°C in March to a pleasant 20°C by May, and the city shakes off its winter coat with a burst of colour. Central Park’s cherry blossoms typically peak in early April, drawing photographers and picnickers alike, while the High Line transforms into a ribbon of wildflowers and grasses above the streetscape.
Crowds are manageable in March and early April before the Easter holiday surge, making it an ideal window to visit popular museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art or the Museum of Modern Art without the queues of summer. Hotel prices sit at a mid-range level — higher than winter, but far below the summer peak.
Rainfall is fairly consistent throughout spring, so a compact umbrella is wise. The weather can be unpredictable: a warm 18°C afternoon can be followed by a sharp drop at dusk, so layering is essential. Outdoor festivals begin to reappear — the Tribeca Film Festival typically runs in late April or May — and restaurant terraces start to fill up, giving the city an energised, sociable atmosphere.
What to pack: Lightweight layers including a cardigan and a light waterproof jacket, comfortable walking shoes, a compact umbrella, jeans or chinos, a couple of smart-casual tops for evenings out, and a light scarf for cooler mornings and evenings.
☀️ Summer (June – August)
Summer is New York City’s busiest and hottest season. Temperatures regularly reach 28–33°C, with high humidity making the heat feel more intense, particularly in July and August. The city buzzes with energy: outdoor cinemas, free Shakespeare in the Park at the Delacorte Theatre, rooftop bars in full swing, and street festivals nearly every weekend. Coney Island and the Rockaway Beach become popular escapes for New Yorkers and tourists alike.
The trade-off is significant congestion. Hotels charge peak rates, queues at major attractions such as the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building stretch long, and the pavements in Midtown can feel suffocating in the midday heat. Booking well in advance and planning sightseeing for early morning or evening helps considerably.
Despite the crowds, summer has an infectious vitality. The 4th of July fireworks over the East River are spectacular, and the city’s parks host free concerts and events almost continuously. New York Pride in late June brings a celebratory, welcoming atmosphere to the streets.
What to pack: Breathable cotton or linen clothing, shorts and lightweight trousers, a hat and sunglasses, high-SPF sunscreen, a reusable water bottle, a light cardigan or layer for heavily air-conditioned restaurants and museums, and comfortable sandals alongside a pair of trainers for longer walks.
🍂 Autumn (September – November)
Autumn is arguably the finest season in New York City and is consistently the top pick among seasoned travellers. September brings warm, settled weather — often lingering in the low-to-mid 20s°C — without the oppressive humidity of summer. As October arrives, the temperature cools to a comfortable 14–18°C and the foliage in Central Park, Riverside Park, and Prospect Park turns to spectacular shades of amber, russet, and gold.
The city returns from its summer pace to full cultural gear. Broadway’s new season launches in September, galleries open major autumn exhibitions, and New York Fashion Week draws the industry’s eye in early September. The New York Film Festival runs through October. Restaurant Week (which actually spans several weeks) offers prix-fixe menus at some of the city’s finest establishments.
Halloween on 31st October is taken seriously here: the Greenwich Village Halloween Parade is one of the most theatrical events in the city’s calendar. Thanksgiving weekend in late November is festive and memorable — the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is a spectacle — though it does bring a surge of domestic visitors and raised prices.
What to pack: A mid-weight jacket or trench coat, knitwear and jumpers, smart-casual layers, ankle boots or sturdy walking shoes, a light scarf, jeans and trousers, and a compact umbrella for November showers.
❄️ Winter (December – February)
Winter in New York City is cold, but it is also deeply atmospheric. December is one of the most magical months: the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree draws millions, ice-skating rinks open in Central Park and Bryant Park, and the shop windows along Fifth Avenue are dressed in elaborate festive displays. The seasonal markets — particularly those in Union Square and Columbus Circle — add a European flair to the city’s streets.
Temperatures average 0–5°C in January and February, with occasional snowfall that, when fresh, gives the city a cinematic beauty. Wind chill can make it feel considerably colder, especially in open areas such as the Brooklyn Bridge or along the Hudson River waterfront. After the holiday rush, January and February are among the quietest months for tourism, which means shorter queues, lower hotel prices, and a more authentic sense of everyday New York life.
February brings New York Restaurant Week again, and the city’s world-class indoor attractions — the American Museum of Natural History, the Guggenheim, Lincoln Center — are all the more inviting when the cold drives you inside. Valentine’s Day sees the city at its most romantically charged.
What to pack: A warm, wind-resistant coat (ideally down or wool), thermal underlayers, chunky knitwear, a hat, gloves, and a scarf, waterproof boots with grip for potential icy pavements, thick socks, and smart layers for evenings at the theatre or a fine-dining restaurant.
🗽 Overall Best Time to Visit
If there is one season that stands above the rest, it is autumn — specifically late September through to late October. The weather is reliably comfortable, the city is alive with cultural events and culinary offers, and the foliage transforms Central Park into something truly breathtaking. Crowds are thinner than summer, prices are more reasonable than December, and the light — that particular low, golden autumn light — flatters the city’s skyline and brownstone streets in a way no other season can match. For those seeking a balance of comfort, atmosphere, value, and beauty, autumn in New York City is simply unbeatable.
Other things to do whilst in New York City
1. New York Botanical Gardens
Spread across 250 acres in the Bronx, the New York Botanical Garden is one of the largest botanical gardens in the world. It was founded in 1891 and is home to over one million living plants, including a 50-acre old-growth forest that has remained largely untouched since before the city was built. Visitors can explore dozens of distinct gardens and collections, from the rose garden and rock garden to the tropical glasshouse known as the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. The garden also operates as a working scientific institution, carrying out research into plant life and conservation. It is open to the public year-round, though some areas and exhibitions carry an extra admission charge on top of the standard entry fee. For anyone with an interest in plants, nature, or simply a quiet place to walk, it offers a genuinely varied day out in an otherwise densely urban part of the city.
2. Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
3. 9/11 Memorial Museum
The National September 11 Memorial & Museum stands at the site of the former World Trade Centre in Lower Manhattan, New York. It opened to the public in 2014 and sits partly underground, beneath the footprints of the Twin Towers. The museum documents the events of 11 September 2001, when nearly 3,000 people were killed in co-ordinated terrorist attacks on the United States, as well as the 1993 World Trade Centre bombing. Visitors move through a series of exhibition spaces containing original artefacts, photographs, audio recordings, and personal belongings from those who died. The displays are organised to give a sense of how events unfolded on the day and to acknowledge the scale of loss felt by families, rescue workers, and communities. Outside, two large reflecting pools occupy the footprints of the towers, with the names of every victim inscribed around their edges. The site attracts millions of visitors each year and serves as both a place of remembrance and a historical record of one of the most significant events in recent American history.
4. Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island
Standing on a small island in New York Harbour, the Statue of Liberty has been one of America’s most recognisable landmarks since it was unveiled in 1886. The statue was a gift from France and depicts a robed female figure holding a torch aloft, symbolising freedom. A short distance away sits Ellis Island, which served as the country’s busiest immigration processing centre from 1892 to 1954. During that period, millions of people arrived there by ship, mainly from Europe, hoping to start new lives in the United States. Officials would check their documents and carry out basic health assessments before allowing them to enter the country. For many, the sight of the statue as their vessel sailed into the harbour was their first glimpse of America. Today, both sites are open to visitors and are managed as part of a national monument, drawing large numbers of tourists each year. Ellis Island also houses a museum dedicated to the history of immigration, where many Americans can trace the arrival of their ancestors.
5. Central Park
Central Park sits at the heart of Manhattan, covering around 840 acres of landscaped grounds in the middle of one of the world’s busiest cities. It was laid out in the 1850s and 1860s by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, and has been a public green space ever since. The park contains open meadows, woodland paths, a boating lake, an ice-skating rink, several playgrounds, and a zoo. On any given day it is used by a wide mix of people — joggers, families, dog walkers, tourists, and office workers on their lunch break. In summer the lawns fill up quickly, and free outdoor concerts and film screenings are common. In winter the bare trees and quieter paths give it a quite different character. It is maintained by a partnership between the city and a private conservancy, and entry is free throughout the year.
Where to stay in New York City
1. Element Times Square
During our visit to New York, we stayed in the Element hotel which is in the Hells Kitchen district. For us, it was perfectly located and was only a 5-minute walk to Times Square. It was also very close to several metro stations and the main bus terminal. We were feeling a bit stingy and cautious due to the Covid-19 pandemic so we decided to walk from Penn Station to the hotel, which only took us 10-minutes, hauling our luggage.
The room was good, we had a little kitchenette and there were pots, pans, plates and silverware, so we were self-contained. We were lucky enough to be on one of the higher floors, so we had a view. It was also possible to see the Empire State building.
Breakfast is included but nothing to write home about, but there are plenty of places to eat in the area so it was not a problem for us.
2. Yotel New York
3. Freehand Hotel
Freehand is located in the former George Washington hotel, known as the home of many artists, and it has maintained its creative spirit. It has a partnership with Bard College and many artists take an active part in designing the hotel and in shaping its cultural life. Freehand features five restaurants and bars, and elegantly designed rooms with private bathrooms. The rooms sleep up to 6 people.
It is located on Lexington Avenue and in walking distance of Union Square, Midtown and Flatiron.
More to Explore
