By Maggie Biunno

It’s the weekend and it’s time for something different. You and your friends have visited Roosevelt Field mall at least 50 times since the school year started and you want a change from the scenes on campus. If you’re ready to explore, there is absolutely no where better to start than with one of the five boroughs. Go to the train station and ride into Manhattan – but this time, the trip does not end there.

Once at Pennsylvania Station, head over to Grand Central Station where you can take either the New Haven Line or the Harlem Line and get off at the Fordham Railroad station. At this point, you ready to begin your adventure in the Bronx of New York City.

“The Bronx is a city in itself. It has all the aspects of city-life: food, entertainment, Little Italy, shopping, and more. Sometimes you feel like you’re in a different world because of the different cultures. It’s not half a bad as people think it is – that’s coming from someone who comes from a white, safe, upper middle class suburb,” Christopher Beattie, an undeclared freshman at Fordham University, said. “I feel like the Bronx is two different worlds at night and during the day – daytime, everyone is out, people everywhere. At night, the complete opposite – you just have to use good judgment.”

One of the very appealing features the Bronx has to offers is the beautiful New York Botanical Garden. The Garden is located at Bronx River Parkway and Fordham Road, just a few blocks away from the Fordham train station. Start off your day here and make sure to bring along your University ID, and you will receive a discounted fee of $11 to see many exhibits at the Garden. This ticket includes admission to the grounds, Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, Everett Children’s Adventure Garden, Rock and Native Plant Gardens, which are open April through October, the Tram Tour and other daily activities.

If you’re not interested in seeing all of these, there is an alternate route of paying for each exhibit separately. These displays range from costing $1 to $4 and on the entrance fee is free all day on Wednesdays and from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturdays. The Garden is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. For more information on planning your trip to the New York Botanical Garden, visit www.nybg.org/, which is the Garden’s official Web page.

Just a walk down the Bronx River Parkway and you and your friends are at another great location in the heart of the Bronx – the Bronx Zoo. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and until 5:30 p.m. on the weekends, the admission for this impressive zoo is only $11. On Wednesdays, admission to the Zoo is free; however, donations are greatly appreciated. There are some other attractions with additional admission prices averaging around $3.

While inside, you can explore the Himalayan Highlands Habitat, the spectacular scenes at the indoor Asian rainforest and a Congo Gorilla Forest. The Zoo offers viewing to over four thousand animals and it is best to visit in the winter if you want to avoid lines and be able to see everything that you desire. To find more tips for visiting and addition information, go online to www.bronxzoo.com.

Other than walking, there is another easy way to travel around in the Bronx. The free Bronx Tour Trolley can be taken around the city from the Garden or from the Zoo and arrives once each hour. An exact trolley schedule can be found on the internet. This Tour Trolley travels to several different attractions around the city, including the train station.

“My favorite thing about being in the Bronx is being able to be in New York City on a college budget,” Brian Bodnar, a freshman Chemistry Major at Fordham University, said.

The attractions around Fordham University in the Bronx are affordable college students to take advantage of on a day off or the weekend.

Then when it’s time for lunch, head over to Pugsley’s Pizza at 590 East 191st St.. It’s located just outside of Fordham’s campus. Pugsley’s is a great place to mingle with other college students and enjoy a great slice of pizza or an outstanding chicken wrap, including chicken, mozzarella cheese, and tomato sauce. Pugsley’s is open to the late hours of the night, for those craving a snack after a night at the bar.

Keith Willert, a communications major freshman from Fordham University recommends Little Italy in the Bronx.

“Go out on Arthur Avenue for some great Italian food,” Willert said.

The Bronx has a wide variety of restaurants to fulfill the many different cultures of the area. This is definitely the place to try something a little different. On Arthur Avenue and Belmont Avenue you can experience a little touch of Italy; something most people think can only be done at the Little Italy in Manhattan.

Some individuals are wary about visiting the Bronx because they think it is unsafe. “It is a very cultural experience,” Bodner stated. “I wouldn’t say the area scares me, but I have respect for the fact that you need to be careful.”

In the Bronx, where all the tourists and students are circulating around Fordham University, there is a reliable police force, patrolling the area 24 hours a day.

The Bronx offers a great opportunity for shopping. On Arthur Avenue and Fordham Road, there is block after block of stores and people. There is a place to find something to wear for a night out to electronic stores. There is everything you could possibly imagine, and most of it is available for an extremely reasonable price.

The variety of activities continues on further and further. The homes of Mark Twain and Edgar Allen Poe are open for visitors. The honorable Yankee Stadium also resides in the Bronx. The Bronx Walk of Fame begins on 161st Street and is full of memorable names. Use this information and www.ilovethebronx.com to plan a trip that you and your friends will never forget.

There is always something going at night in the Bronx.

“You should definitely check out Howl at the Moon at 585 E. 187 St. or Mug-Z on Arthur Ave,” Samantha Gons, a freshman psychology major, said. “There are some bars around the area exclusive for Fordham students only, but those and the Jolly Tinker and Ziggy’s are open to everyone 21 and over.”

This weekend, be the daring one. It’s your turn to come up with the ideas of what-to-do in your spare time after class. There is no where better to start than with exploring the great parts of New York City. This is a chance to look beyond what most people see as just Manhattan and to enjoy a cultural experience in New York City’s borough of the Bronx.

Pugsley´s on Arthur Avenue is a great place to have a casual dinner after a trip to the Bronx Zoo or before ready to head out to the nightclubs and bars. (Maggie Biunno/The Chronicle)