No, the Bronx isn't as bad as it used to be. But it's still a place I wouldn't want to be wandering around after dark unless I had a firearm.
The "used to be" that you're talking about was fourty years ago. I wander around all types of neighborhoods at night unarmed. Never had a problem. -Correction: A friend and I got beat up pretty bad in racially motivated attack after Howard Beach. But, again, that was almost 30 years ago.
My point is this: The perception of the Bronx around the rest of the country (and the world) by people who have no clue is that the Bronx is a lot like "Escape From New York." That is neither fair nor accurate. And the residents there who ARE working hard and take pride in their neighborhood have a right to be pissed at someone making money off that lie.