The Throgs Neck Bridge lands on a peninsula at the far southeastern corner of the Bronx, and from the water's edge here you look out over the place where the East River widens into Long Island Sound. The neighbourhood of Throgs Neck itself is a quiet, low-rise part of the city, a mix of small houses, waterfront bungalows, churches and corner delis, where it is easy to forget you are in New York City at all. The name comes from John Throckmorton, an early settler of the 1640s, worn down over the centuries into its current form.
At the tip of the peninsula stands Fort Schuyler, a granite fort built in the nineteenth century to guard the eastern approach to New York Harbor. It now houses the State University of New York Maritime College, and a training ship is often moored alongside. Across the water, the Throgs Neck Bridge and the Bronx–Whitestone Bridge cross to Queens, and on a clear evening the sunsets over the water, with the bridges silhouetted, are very fine.
The swim, though, needs honesty. The waters around the neck are tidal, with strong currents and boat traffic, and there are no lifeguarded public beaches on the peninsula itself; some waterfront communities have small private beaches for residents. The city's proper swimming beach is Orchard Beach in Pelham Bay Park, a few kilometres north, a long, curving crescent of sand built in the 1930s, with lifeguards and facilities in summer. That is where to head if you want to get wet.
The riding into Throgs Neck is all city: the Cross Bronx Expressway, the Throgs Neck Expressway and the Bruckner, with heavy traffic, potholes, aggressive drivers and constant construction. The bridges charge tolls collected electronically, so make sure your plate is registered or expect a bill by mail. Once off the highways, the local streets are calm and easy.
There are fuel stations, delis, pizza places and diners close by on East Tremont and Throgs Neck boulevards. After a long ride from the Berkshires and the Mohawk Trail, with their hill farms and covered bridges, sitting on a bench by the water and watching the boats go under the bridge is a satisfying way to come back to the city.