Fordham Road Murals Beautify Bronx

A giant, brightly-colored shopping bag spills its contents across the street from Fordham Road to Creston Avenue in the Bronx. A yellow teddy bear, a red movie ticket and a blue hamburger are among the items scattered on the ground. This isn’t some cartoon tragedy. It’s a new asphalt art piece, there to make Fordham Road shopping district more vibrant.

The artwork's creator, Laura Alvarez, said the colorful motifs represent Fordham businesses and communities of the past and present.

“The community is the one that has to see this piece of art every day,” she said. “It’s important that they see themselves in it.”

Another new mural, just off of Fordham Road on Bainbridge Avenue, is similarly inspired by the area. Area landmarks, including the Bronx Zoo, Fordham University, and the D line subway are painted across the side of a Carvel ice cream shop on the corner.

Artist Daniel Bonilla, also known as Art Man Dan, hopes the mural will brighten local residents’ days. “That’s why on the wall it does say, ‘dedicated to the people of the neighborhood,’'' Bonilla explained, “because it’s for them, it’s not for me.”

Both artists hail from the Bronx. The murals were funded by a grant from the NYC Department of Small Business Services and organized by the Fordham Road Business Improvement District. The group aims to represent Bronx culture within public art while beautifying the local commercial area.

[This story ran on the What’s What podcast from WFUV News on July 1, 2025.]