Brighton Beach: What's Real

From Decoding New York

An example of the buildings in Brighton Beach. Photo by Valerie T.

Brighton Beach is a neighborhood dominated mostly by Russians. Although other ethnicities such as Chinese, Mexican, and Arabic peoples reside in the neighborhood, when walking down Brighton Beach Avenue, the most popular language you will hear is Russian. Russian people, language, food, businesses, families, homes, etc. dominate the neighborhood, as do the stereotypes that come with the people. As you walk down the streets, you will find fur stores, jewelry shops and liquor stores, confirming the theory that Russians adore those items. Street vendors are trying to hustle pedestrians by selling anything and everything possible. Music is playing everywhere and people are socializing. Sunflower seeds are found in packs down the Boardwalk as Russians of all ages litter while strolling by the beach. Russian friends are arguing and making up at random street corners. Brighton Beach is reminiscent of old Russian bazaars back home and people embrace Brighton Beach as their very own community in their very own bubble; a place they can call their own.

As we walked from store to store, we began recognizing the familiarities that followed. Residents know each other and would stop to speak to their acquaintances on the street. In stores, customers would address employees by their names, implying they visit the store frequently and are already very comfortable to chat away as they make their purchases. We spoke with the manager of International Food and she confirmed the fact that the same customers shop at the store on a regular basis. She said she expects weekly calls from her regular customers who make weekly orders and pick-ups. Brighton Beach could be described as a "bubble". Russian immigrants settled there and carried over every aspect of their culture. None of the immigrants we interviewed felt "Americanized" and one even went on to say that she lives her life and raises her children with a "Russian mentality, nothing American".

Buildings and houses

Like in other neighborhoods, the Russians are very accepting to anyone who speaks their language, but when we approached people on the street with English, they refused to talk to us. Once we switched off to speaking to people in Russian, we were better accepted and pedestrians were more willing to share with us. This shows us how closed off people in such a cramped neighborhood can become. With aspects of Russian culture surrounding Brighton Beach, assimilation is hard to come by. Yet amongst Russian bookstores and food stores, there is a Starbucks, which is essentially what comes up when thinking of New York City life.

Interviews with the locals of Brighton Beach