Throgs Neck, an affordable family nabe, offers stunning views

Hugged by two of New York City’s waterways, the Throgs Neck section of the Bronx is a quiet, well-kept waterfront neighborhood that’s mainly home to families.

Located at the bottom of the borough, jutting out in the southeastern direction toward Queens, the neighborhood is also situated between two popular bridges - the Throgs Neck and Whitestone — as well as the busy Bruckner Boulevard.

Along with the water, both bridges can be seen from many back yards and are prominent reminders that although this nabe is rather suburban, it’s not far from the pulse of rushing traffic heading in and out of Manhattan and Queens.

As for its economy, Throgs Neck is now welcoming an influx of new businesses. For example, its main thoroughfare, East Tremont Avenue, received a recent boom in various restaurants and bars.
Yet, as the area becomes more vibrant, it has a rare ability to conserve some of its mom-and-pop businesses.

Throgs Neck was once an exclusive mini getaway for wealthy Manhattanites, but over time that ambiance gave way to a migration of East Harlemites in the 1960s and early 1970s, according to local experts.

While mostly working and middle class, Throgs Neck also has some exclusive elements, such as the private communities of Edgewater, Silver Beach and Lagoon Estates. But it is also home to many immigrants.

“We’re seeing a lot of younger families move in from other parts of the Bronx and people from Manhattan who want to get out of the apartment and own their own house,” said Shane Rossi, a real estate agent at Exit Realty in Throgs Neck.

The area is dotted with many single and two-family attached homes and prices range from the mid $300s to $500,000.

Relatively new waterfront condos go for about $400,000 and some come equipped with boat slips.

The surrounding East River and Long Island Sound waters also attract potential buyers, renters and visitors. According to Rossi, a big boat community resides in the area and activities like sailing, jet-skiing and kayaking are popular during the warm months.

“It’s a very tight-knit, family-oriented community,” Rossi said. “The homes here are occupied and passed down from generation to generation. And with the new residents and businesses the area is more alive than it’s been in previous years.

Find It: The Throgs Neck neighborhood runs from the Long Island Sound in the east to Brush Avenue or Westchester Creek in the west. It is bounded to the south by the East River and to the north by Bruckner Boulevard.

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THE BASICS

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According to the NYPD’s CompStat report, the murder rate in the precinct decreased by 88.2% from 1990 to 2012.

Robberies also decreased, from 505 in 1990 to 189 in 2012 — a 62.6% drop. Burglaries had a 38.9% decrease from 2001 to 2012.

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Throgs Neck is slowly becoming more vibrant. Two major construction projects are currently in the works. One is the Throggs Neck Shopping Center, which will be located at 815 Hutchinson River Parkway. It will house a Target, Applebee’s and T.J. Maxx among other establishments. According to Gamut Construction, the company building the site, it is slated to open in spring 2014. The project is estimated at $100 million.

The other is the roughly $100 million golf course, which is set to be operated by The Trump Organization. According to the Parks Department, it will be built at Ferry Point Park. It is set to be completed in 2014.

Throgs Neck suffered some damage from Superstorm Sandy and some residents and businesses are still rebuilding. According to News12, Preston High School is still making repairs to its seawall, which, if not fixed, leaves the school vulnerable to more flooding. The Bronxonia Yacht Club is also suffering some setbacks.

Members started off the boating season fixing the lingering damage to the dock from the storm.

The Vincent Avenue seawall which was damaged during the storm, is also going to be rebuilt.

According to the DOT the rebuilding process will begin within the next few months. The DOT says the project is expected to be completed by 2015.

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Bruckner Hobbies is a specialty store that has been in Throgs Neck for 37 years. Dan Baffer’s father, Thomas Baffer, opened the store with a few friends to further pursue their passion for remote-controlled airplanes, helicopters and boats. Dan, 34, now co-manages the business with his father. They say their store is the largest hobby shop in the five boroughs.