In addition to the choices listed here, literary buffs might also want to visit the Edgar Allan Poe Cottage, the final home for the brilliant but troubled author of The Raven, The Tell-Tale Heart, and other masterworks.

The Bronx's Arthur Avenue -- Not far from the Bronx Zoo and Bronx Botanical Gardens is Arthur Avenue, called the Little Italy of the Bronx -- but unlike the Little Italy of downtown, this one is the real deal. It's also the perfect complement to a day spent at either the Zoo or the Botanical Gardens. From Fordham Road walk south and you will begin to smell the aroma of freshly baked bread, cured sausages, tomato sauce, and sidewalk clam bars. By the time you hit 187th Street your mouth will be watering and you won't know which market, restaurant, or pizzeria to try first. Some of the neighborhood standouts include Mario's Restaurant (tel. 718/584-1188), where the Neapolitan pizza is magnificent and the ziti with broccoli, unforgettable; Mike's Deli (tel. 718/295-5033) in the Arthur Avenue Retail market, where you'll find almost perfect mozzarella and sandwiches like Big Mike's Combo, a fresh-baked hero with mortadella, salami, capicolla, and provolone; and Egidio's Pastry (tel. 718/295-6077), my favorite stop for espresso, cappuccino, and cannolis. Try to visit mid-week rather than a weekend when it is less crowded and the storeowners less harried. Take the 4 or D train to Fordham Road, 12 bus east; 2 or 5 train to Pelham Parkway, 12 bus west; Metro North Harlem Line to Fordham Road, shuttle bus to Belmont and Bronx Zoo.