Longtime BronxNet host Gary Axelbank received one of the borough’s highest honors on May 6, when Borough President Vanessa Gibson announced his induction into the Bronx Walk of Fame.
At a ceremony to kick off Bronx Week 2025, sponsored by the Bronx Economic Development Corporation and Bronx Tourism Council, Axelbank was declared winner of the People’s Choice Award, established in 2023. This year, Bronxites nominated influential figures in media and arts, and in the past have nominated those in education and healthcare.
Axelbank’s name will appear for one year on the Bronx Walk of Fame, which honors over 125 prominent Bronx natives in entertainment, writing and journalism, music, sports, science, business, public office and more.
Axelbank said in a May 6 Instagram post that he was “humbled and honored” to be recognized by fellow Bronxites and that having his name on a Grand Concourse street sign is “something I can barely fathom.”
He will be in good company on the 23-block stretch of promenade with distinctive blue signs honoring Rita Moreno, Chazz Palminteri, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Fat Joe and Irene Cara and, from Axelbank’s industry, TV host Regis Philbin and reporter Juliet Papa.
Also inducted into the Walk of Fame this year were WWE star Damien Priest, NBA point guard Kemba Walker, musician and singer Judy Torres and visual artist Devon Rodriguez, whom Gibson described as “each representing the heart, hustle, and talent of our borough.”
Axelbank, a proud Bronx native, attended DeWitt Clinton High School and Lehman College and now lives in the Van Cortlandt Village area. As the host of the weekly show BronxTalk, Axelbank has brought in countless elected officials, experts and advocates to discuss timely issues such as local business, congestion pricing, food insecurity, housing development and school choice. He has also moderated 96 debates — soon to be over 100 — between Bronx candidates running for elected office.
As a music lover and former DJ, Axelbank also hosts a monthly music podcast, appropriately called the Bronx Music Podcast, where he invites a diverse range of Bronx-based musicians to talk about their work and perform live at The Artist cafe on City Island.
For more information on the Bronx Walk of Fame, see https://www.bronxwalkoffame.com/.
Reach Emily Swanson at eswanson@schnepsmedia.com or (646) 717-0015. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
