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Grand Concourse Walking Tour

The Grand Concourse is one of the most important avenues in the Bronx. Designed by Louis Aloys Risse, an immigrant from Lorraine, France, who had previously worked for the New York Central Railroad. Risse was appointed chief topographical engineer for the city in the 1890s. Many of the buildings along the Concourse were designed in the Art Deco style, creating a semi-consistent visual along the broad boulevard.

Visit the past via the Grand Concourse. Discover the stunning architecture from civic monuments to Art Deco apartment houses to grand municipal structures.

ByMuseum of the City of New York logoMuseum of the City of New York
Start
11 stops•5.8km•1h 10min
Bronx General Post Office icon

Bronx General Post Office

The Bronx Post Office was constructed between 1935 and 1937 and was designed by architect Thomas Harlan Ellett. The building is rendered in a smooth gray brick and is surrounded by a granite terrace. Within marble arches, sit graceful windows. On the terrace are two sculptures dating to 1936: The Letter by Henry Kreis and Noah by Charles Rudy. The interior features 13 fresco murals crafted by Ben and Bernarda Shahn with the poem “I See America Working” by Walt Whitman as inspiration. The building was designated a New York City Landmark on September 14, 1976, because of its stunning interior and exterior and to preserve the works by the Shahns.
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Bronx County Courthouse icon

Bronx County Courthouse

The Bronx County Courthouse is a historic legislative building designed in 1931. It was drafted by Joseph H. Freelander and Max Hausle and completed in 1934. This Art Deco building features four 10-foot by 36-foot murals on the first floor that depict important historical events of the Bronx's past. In 1983, it was designated as a landmark, and five years later Mayor Edward Koch renamed the building after the late Bronx County District Attorney Mario Merola.
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888 Grand Concourse icon

888 Grand Concourse

In 2009, The New York Times called no. 888 “a particular stunner, a medley of curves, scallops and concave spaces executed in black granite, bronze, stainless steel, marble mosaic, and gold stripes.” This apartment building is a hidden gem on the corner of the bustling Concourse; when one takes a moment to fully take in the building, you can see the grace with which Emery Roth designed the building. 888 Grand Concourse has fallen on some hard times in the recent past but still stands as one of the Concourse's Art Deco standouts.
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Lorelei Fountain icon

Lorelei Fountain

Take a walk through Joyce Kilmer Park, and on the south side stands a memorial to the German Poet, Heinrich Heine. Heine, whose radical political views led to many of his works being banned by German authorities, spent the last 25 years of his life as an expatriate in Paris. The 'Lorelei Fountain' seen here at its debut depicts a water spirit featured in a Heine's poem. Originally, the monument was to be placed in Heine's hometown of Düsseldorf, but antisemitism and nationalist propaganda in Germany prevented its installation. Instead, it was unveiled on July 8, 1899, in the presence of the sculptor, Ernst Herter, here in The Bronx. The Lorelei has been subject to vandalism throughout the years but underwent conservation and restoration in 1999 as part of the Municipal Arts Society's Adopt-a-Monument program.
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Louis J. Heintz Memorial at Joyce Kilmer Park icon

Louis J. Heintz Memorial at Joyce Kilmer Park

Further north in the park is the memorial to esteemed civic leader Louis J. Heintz. Heintz was born in Manhattan in 1861 and became the first Street Commissioner for the district of the Bronx. At the peak of his political career, Heintz contracted a cold during the presidential inauguration ceremony for Grover Cleveland and died soon thereafter. The monument once included a draped female figure called “Fame” that was depicted inscribing the words on the granite pedestal; it was oft vandalized and has since been removed to storage. The monument was conserved in 2000.
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All Hallows Institute icon

All Hallows Institute

All Hallows High School is an all-boys Catholic school founded in 1909. The Bronx location opened its doors in 1929, and despite being in one of the poorest congressional districts in the country, All Hallows High School has routinely sent all of their graduating seniors to four-year colleges. In 1997, graduates of the school set up The All Hallows Foundation for the purpose of supporting the school and the surrounding neighborhood. The board of directors for the All Hallows Foundation is composed primarily of All Hallows graduates who have achieved notable success in fields such as finance, technology, law, and entertainment.
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Andrew J. Freedman Home icon

Andrew J. Freedman Home

The Andrew Freedman Home was completed in 1924 and opened as a retirement home for wealthy individuals who had lost their fortunes. Freedman, a self-made millionaire, lost much of his fortune during the Panic of 1907 and upon his death left some of his wealth to support those who had lost theirs. Each resident lived at the Andrew Freedman Home rent free and received free servants. The trust that operated the Andrew Freedman Home ran out of money in the 1960s and residents were forced to pay rent. In 1983 the Mid Bronx Senior Citizens Council purchased the home and relocated its last 30 tenants. It reopened in 1983 for all elderly individuals, regardless of past financial status. As of 2012, the Andrew Freedman Home serves as a day-care center, artist hub, an incubator space, a workforce development center, and a community services center.
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1150 Grand Concourse icon

1150 Grand Concourse

Affectionately nicknamed "The Fish 🐟 Building", 1150 Grand Concourse is a gem among the hustle and bustle of the thoroughfare. Construction on the building was completed in 1937 and its glittering mosaic facade is enough to catch anyone's eye.
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2392 Grand Concourse icon

2392 Grand Concourse

At this location once stood a Rex Cole showroom. Rex Cole was a leader in furnishing consumer appliances and had stores throughout the city. While the building has been altered greatly over the years, parts of its original structure and the surrounding buildings remain.
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Emigrant Savings bank icon

Emigrant Savings bank

This clocktower building was once the home of an Emigrant Savings Bank. The building, designed by the architectural firm of Halsey, McCormick & Helmer, has an Art Deco facade similar to the others surrounding it. Officially designated by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1994, this building is the largest bank structure in the Bronx.
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Edgar Allan Poe Cottage icon

Edgar Allan Poe Cottage

This humble house was once the home of famed author Edgar Allan Poe and his wife. The Poe Cottage is the oldest structure on this list; it was built in the late 1790s. The home was not constructed where it currently stands. In 1913, after almost a decade of debate, $100,000 were spent to restore and move it. In 1962, the cottage was designated a landmark. It is assumed that Poe's last short story, "Landor's Cottage," was likely inspired by the home.
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