I had my 30th birthday party in Brighton Beach at a Russian nightclub called the National. If you know anyone that has been to such an event, they’ll tell you its quite the experience. Since then, I’ve wanted to live in Brighton Beach for a week. I’d have settled for Coney Island, Sheepshead Bay, or even Manhattan Beach, but I really wanted to live in the neighborhood they call “Little Odessa.” In fact, I was so intrigued with the neighborhood that I ditched the AeroBed for a week and decided I’d rent a room in Brighton Beach. It seemed apparent I wasn’t going to find anyone to live with there.
I think I was interested in Brighton Beach because of its proximity to the water and just how many Russians live there. There is something special about living close to the water in New York City. I found that in Red Hook, and I found it in Brighton Beach. The residents here really take advantage of the boardwalk and the water. People exercise, swim, fish, search for things with metal detectors, but mostly they stroll and sit out. Like most beaches, the time to visit Brighton Beach is early in the morning or as the sun is setting. Do as the locals do, grab a bag of (unsalted) sunflower seeds, and go sit on a bench looking out at the water.
The other highlight of this neighborhood was the food. There is Georgian, Russian, Mexican, Ukrainian. I introduced myself to varaneki and pelmeni (Russian dumplings), green borscht and red borscht, khatchapouri (Georgian cheese bread) and various Russian pastries. There is a bakery that sells cake by the pound and you slice the cake yourself. The place called Georgian Bread is worth the 45 minute trip on the B or Q. The rest of my time was spent walking the beach and the neighborhood. I explored Manhattan Beach, Sheepshead Bay, and ran down to Coney Island one morning.
There is certainly something lost in this experience when you don’t stay with someone, but it was a nice change of pace. I had a much harder time finding someone to interview for SoundCloud, but that was probably due to my lack of Russian language skills. That, and I really wanted to find one of the Russian Dolls but had no luck. Listen to my search below:
The Search for the Most Interesting Person in Brighton Beach by thenycnomad
I’m back home to Massachusetts for a week to help my mom who is recovering from knee surgery. I’ll be back to nomadding in November where I’ll be visiting Turtle Bay in Manhattan and then off to Queens for a week in Astoria and Forest Hills. Neighborhoods 50 – 52 will be Inwood, Chelsea, and hopefully Chinatown, Jackson Heights, or Long Island City. If you know anyone in those neighborhoods, I’d really appreciate an introduction! Or you can always sign up to host here.
Related articles
- Listen to my quest to find the most interesting person in… (thenycnomad.tumblr.com)
- Traveling in New York City – Brighton Beach (brooklynguyloveswine.blogspot.com)
- Bling And Borscht: ‘Russian Dolls’ Play Up Stereotypes (npr.org)
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