Brighton Beach - A Beach Front Brooklyn Neighborhood

While sitting on the sand at Brighton Beach in the summer, gazing out at the vast blue ocean interrupted only by the occasional sailboat or freighter, and listening to the soothing sound of the waves and delighted squeals of children chattering in a variety of languages, it's easy to forget that the hustle and bustle of Manhattan is merely a short subway ride away.

The appeal of Brighton Beach today is the same as it was in the 19th Century when savvy entrepreneurs began developing it as a summer playground for the middle class. Although already a resort, the opening of Ocean Parkway in 1876, and Murphy's New York and Brighton Beach Railroad in 1878, made the site accessible to families. Brighton Beach even had is own amusement park, Brighton Beach Park, complete with a rollercoaster, midway, fireworks, and carousel.

Brighton Beach Park was converted to the Brighton Beach Baths, a 15-acre exclusive beach club that had three swimming pools, tennis, handball, miniature golf, mah-jongg, cards, and weekend entertainment provided by Milton Berle, Lionel Hampton, and Herman's Hermits. The club was later remained the Brighton Beach Bath and Racquet Club.

At the beginning of the 20th Century, Brighton Beach started to become a year round residence, and 30 six-story apartments were built, some of which have since been converted to co-ops. In the 1930s and 1940s, summer bungalows were winterized.

The 1970s threatened the community with graffiti, urban blight, and an exodus of young residents, so locals took it upon themselves to demand improvements. About the same time same time the Soviet Union relaxed its immigration policies and large numbers of Russian immigrants began moving in, breathing new life into the neighborhood. In fact, so many Russian immigrants arrived that the area was dubbed “Little Odessa” because the neighborhood resembled the Ukrainian city on the Black Sea. Later, the Russians were joined by immigrants from Mexico, Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Korea, and other countries.