Bronx Walk of Fame facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Bronx Walk of Fame

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Established	1997
Location	Grand Concourse from 138th Street to East 161st Street, The Bronx, New York, U.S.
Type	Hall of Fame
Founder	Fernando Ferrer
Owner	Bronx borough president, Bronx Tourism Council
Public transit access	New York City Subway (149th Street), (138th and 149th Streets), (138th and 149th Streets), (161st Street), (161st Street)
Nearest parking	Street parking and nearby private garages

Bronx Walk of Fame signs for Nate Archibald and Regis Philbin. They were among the first people honored.

The Bronx Walk of Fame is a special outdoor display in the Bronx, New York City. It's a long stretch of street along the Grand Concourse, one of the main roads in the Bronx. Here, you'll find street signs honoring people who grew up or lived in the Bronx and achieved great things. Many of these people are famous artists or entertainers. But some are also "everyday heroes" who made a big difference in their communities. Even some groups have been honored! New people are added to the Walk of Fame every year.

History of the Walk of Fame

Fernando Ferrer, who was the president of the Bronx from 1987 to 2001, came up with the idea for the Bronx Walk of Fame in 1997. He wanted to honor people who had strong connections to the Bronx and made important contributions to society.

The very first ceremony to honor people happened on June 1, 1997. This event took place during the 25th Bronx Week. Bronx Week is an annual spring celebration with street festivals, concerts, a parade, and a fancy gala called the Bronx Ball. The Bronx Ball is where the new honorees are officially welcomed.

The names of the first honorees were put on street signs. These signs were placed on lampposts along the Grand Concourse, near the Bronx County Courthouse. The original signs had the person's name in the middle. They also said "The Bronx" at the top and "Walk of Fame" at the bottom. There were small pictures of the Bronx County Courthouse and a pizza shop on the signs.

In 2007, the signs got a new look. They used a different font, and the courthouse picture was redrawn. The pizza shop was replaced with a picture of an Art Deco building. This new design was meant to look like the cool apartment buildings on the Grand Concourse. As more people have been honored over the years, the signs have spread out further along the Grand Concourse.

In 2019, a plan was announced to update the Walk of Fame over five years. The idea was to move the walk to a new section of the Grand Concourse. This new area would be near Hostos Community College and the main Bronx Post Office. This change would allow the organizers to group honorees by what they achieved. It would also make it easier for people to see the plaques and create a digital map of the walk.

How Honorees Are Chosen

Bronx Walk of Fame sign for Diahann Carroll at the corner of the Grand Concourse and East 144th Street.

Anyone in the community can suggest someone for the Bronx Walk of Fame. A special committee then chooses the honorees. This committee includes the Bronx borough president, The Bronx Tourism Council, and The Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation.

The names of the chosen people are announced before Bronx Week begins. Their names are put on large street signs. These signs are first shown in front of the Bronx County Courthouse. They stay there on lampposts for one year. After that, they are moved to different spots along the Grand Concourse. This makes room for the next group of honorees.

The Bronx Tourism Council takes care of the Bronx Walk of Fame. Since 2012, only up to five people can be honored each year. In 2020, the Bronx Week celebrations and the Walk of Fame selections were canceled. This happened because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which greatly affected New York City that spring.

List of Honorees

The following people and groups have been honored with a spot on the Bronx Walk of Fame.

* Posthumous honoree (honored after they passed away)