New Rochelle, NY Road Trips

New Rochelle was founded by Huguenot refugees from persecution in France and named after La Rochelle. Huguenot Street is today one of the main streets in the city, and the fleur de lis is the city's symbol; you can see colorful plastic fleur de lis sculptures on several streets in Downtown New Rochelle. The city is only a little beyond the northeasternmost reaches of the Bronx and reachable from there by bus, car and commuter train, but it has its own character. It is an ethnically diverse city with many private houses, low-rise brick buildings, some pretty churches, classic mid-19th-century to Art Deco commercial and office buildings Downtown, the neo-Gothic buildings of the former College of New Rochelle and some secondary schools, an increasing number of modern high-rises and upscale cafes along with inexpensive shops and taquerias.

1 Church of the Blessed Sacrament, 15 Shea Place (at Centre Ave), ☏ +1 914-632 - 3700, [email protected]. This sizable Catholic church is a historic neo-Gothic building, completed in 1897, with a tall spire that can be seen for some distance. Outside the front of the church is a statue of Jesus with his hands upraised to bless passersby. Inside the church are fine stained glass windows. (updated May 2021) 2 Iona College, 715 North Ave. This private, Catholic college has a beautiful 45-acre (18 ha) suburban campus. (updated May 2021) 3 Masonic Care (Formerly College of New Rochelle), 29 Castle Place. The College of St. Angela, as it was known from its founding in 1904 until it became College of New Rochelle in 1910, was the first Catholic women's college established in New York State. Its campus is now a retirement community. The campus is pleasant and full of neo-Gothic buildings, some of them mock-castles with fanciful crenelations. It probably isn't worth a huge detour, but if it's not out of your way, it is a nice sight to see, especially in April and May when many trees and bushes are in bloom. Toward the southern end of the campus, there is a building with a very peaceful though relatively plain chapel, with very nice paintings of the Stations of the Cross. (updated Oct 2019) 4 Thomas Paine Cottage Museum, 20 Sicard Ave, ☏ +1 914-633-1776. Th Sa Su 10AM-5PM. Admission $5. (updated Aug 2017) 5 Trinity Saint Paul's Episcopal Church, 311 Huguenot St (at Division St), ☏ +1-914-632-5368.

1 Davenport Park, Davenport Ave. (updated May 2021) 2 Glen Island Park (drawbridge at Pelham Rd & Weyman Ave), ☏ +1 914-813-6720. Daily 8AM–dusk. 130 acres (53 hectares) island on the Sound, with beach, picnic areas, boat launch, playgrounds, garden, and leafy walkways. Cannons, sculptures, and castles make for interesting exploration. Admission requires Westchester residency. Includes a restaurant on the site of the former Glen Island Casino that hosted some of the most famous musicians of the Big Band era. Parking: $5 with Park Pass, $10 without Park Pass; beach fees: TBD. (updated May 2021) Ruby Dee Park (Huguenot Street between Lawton Street and Memorial Highway). Named in honor of one of New Rochelle's famous residents, this park right next to the city's main library also contains a New Rochelle Walk of Fame that honors quite a few famous people who came from or lived in the city and the somewhat futuristic-looking Twilight of Dawn sculpture by R. M. Fischer. This small park is a relaxing place to walk through or hang out in, and is also the location of the New Rochelle Downtown Sizzle concert series, every Saturday 5-9 PM from late May to the end of September. Free admission. (updated Sep 2023) Hudson Park & Beach Bananas' Axe Cabana Sky Zone Trampoline Park New Rochelle Farmers Market

1 Juicy Chicken Peruvian Rotisserie Bar and Grill, 6 Division St, ☏ +1 914-278-9820. Tu–Su noon–8PM, closed M. (updated May 2021) 2 Jolo's Vegan Food Bar and Lounge, 49 Lawton St. (updated Jan 2026) 3 Space Grill, 234 North Ave. (updated Jan 2026) YUM Ice Cream. (updated Jan 2026) Little Mexican Cafe. (updated Jan 2026) 4 Bros Pizza. (updated Jan 2026) Cestra's Pizza 4. (updated Jan 2026) Town Pizza House Restaurant. (updated Jan 2026) The Wooden Spoon. (updated Jan 2026)

Cafétero Coffee Company, 111 Centre Ave (In Modera - New Rochelle, just a bit south of Main St). M-Sa: 7:00 AM - 7:30 PM; Su: 7:00 AM - 6:30 PM. Popular cafe that also has savory and sweet food including chorizo/egg/cheese empanadas and some good "tropical" carrot cake with coconut and raisins. Ample seating inside and several tables outside. (updated Sep 2023) 1 R Cafe & Tea Boutique, 302 Huguenot St (between Division St and Centre Ave), ☏ +1 914-358-1841. 7AM-6PM daily. Serious coffee, very tasty tea and pastries from Balthazar Bakery 2½ blocks from the train station. The atmosphere is relaxing and they play nice Latin music on their sound system. They will ice any kind of tea for you. The rooibos is excellent. Pastries $1.70-6.50; tea $3.50-9.75; coffee $4-6 except for large quantities of coffee for brewing at home. (updated Sep 2023) Aura wine & Bar

1 Residence Inn, 35 LeCount Place (downtown area), ☏ +1 914 636-7888. Check-in: Noon, check-out: 3PM. All rooms are suites, with kitchen and living room area. Walk through the garage to the grocery store next door. The largest suite has two bedrooms and can sleep six. Free breakfast buffet on top floor each morning, and free supper or snacks on some evenings. $189 and up. (updated Aug 2017) 2 Radisson Hotel, 1 Radisson Plaza, ☏ +1 914-576-3700, [email protected]. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. $133-296. (updated May 2021)

New Rochelle is a stop on the New Haven Line of Metro-North between Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan, New York City and Stamford. Travel time from Grand Central Terminal is approximately 35 minutes. Additionally, Amtrak serves the city via its Northeast Regional trains between Boston, New York City, Washington, D.C. and Richmond. 1 New Rochelle station is at 1 Penn Central Railroad, next to downtown. The New England Thruway (I-95) traverses the city. Main Street, which is not a limited-access highway, is US Route 1. In part of Downtown, it bifurcates, with southbound traffic diverted to Huguenot Street. A number of Bee Line bus routes connect New Rochelle with other towns in Westchester County and places in the Bronx such as the ends of the 2, 5 and 6 subway lines. You get a free transfer from or to the subway or another Bee Line or New York City Transit bus. The Bee Line buses often run only every hour or half hour, and actual bus arrival times are often as much as 15-20 minutes behind schedule.

Taxis are not too expensive if you need them, but while you may find some waiting near the train station (though this is not guaranteed), you may have trouble hailing them on the street. Uber and Lyft are also available but cost more. Some of the Bee Line buses can be useful for local travel if they happen to arrive at a convenient time. Much of the city is walkable. CircuitNR runs free electric shuttles on demand in parts of New Rochelle.