living as i do in the land of necks--i live in little neck, just across the river from throgs neck, and down the road from great neck (Little Neck and Great Neck being know to some of you as Little Egg and Big Egg) . a bit further down the road is lloyds neck, and-- one of the more interesting named towns, mad nan's neck!

a neck is a narrow strip of land. in Long Island/NY case is used to describe small peninsulas. Long Island's north shore is a highland--(two overlapping terminal morains) and over the eons, they have been eroding. so the landscape is alternately highlands with deep eroded valleys. the remaining highlands are all Necks. a look at an atlas will show the north shore of LI looks like serated teeth, the south shore has barrier islands parallel to the shore (coney island, rockaway, fire island, etc.)
little neck is almost entire eroded away (hence it is a little neck) the result is a large bay, once home to "little neck clams" my commuter train transverses the bay, it is the best part of my daily commute.


my other obsession