Levittown is one of the most famous suburbs in the world, though it does not look like much at first glance. After the Second World War, the building firm Levitt and Sons bought potato fields on Long Island and built thousands of identical small houses on an assembly line, sold cheaply to returning soldiers and their families. It became the model for postwar suburbs across America, with its lawns, curving streets and shopping centres, and it also became a symbol of their darker side: for years the houses were sold only to white families, under covenants written into the deeds.
Today the houses have been extended, rebuilt and personalised beyond recognition, and the community has more than fifty thousand people. It is an ordinary suburb, with schools, shops and parks, and as a place to stop on the way back from the North Fork, it is practical rather than beautiful.
The swimming is a short ride south, at Jones Beach State Park, one of the great public beaches of the world. It was created in the 1920s by Robert Moses, the powerful planner who shaped much of New York's roads and parks, and it has miles of white sand facing the Atlantic, with lifeguards, boardwalks and an Art Deco water tower that stands over the beach like a lighthouse. The ocean is cold until July and the waves can be strong, so swim only between the flags, but on a hot summer day it is wonderful.
The North Fork of Long Island, where the ride goes, is very different from the busy western part of the island. It is a land of vineyards, farm stands, small towns and lighthouses, with quiet roads and views over Long Island Sound and Peconic Bay. The ride there and back uses the Long Island Expressway or the parkways, which can be slow with traffic, especially on summer weekends. Motorcycles are allowed on the parkways, which are often more pleasant than the expressway.
Levittown has fuel, food and every service, and the surrounding area has plenty of diners and delis. Grab a bagel or a sandwich, ride down to Jones Beach and cool off in the Atlantic before heading home.