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Brighton Beach

Home to a vibrant Russian and Eastern European community, Brighton Beach might be less famous than Coney Island—the neighborhood and carnival showcase next door—but the area still beckons those eager to settle on the shores of Brooklyn. Brighton Beach is named for its eponymous counterpart in England, and the locale’s art deco–era buildings, charming bungalows (originally built as summertime beach homes) and narrow residential streets speak to its small-town feel. The bustling strip of Brighton Beach Avenue presents a cornucopia of shopping, dining and entertainment (usually involving some combination of vodka, borscht and dancing). In this “Little Odessa,” with the subway rolling overhead, the stores’ Cyrillic signs boast delicious foods and Russian arts and imports. Even if you don’t speak Russian, the allure of pirozhki (stuffed buns) and Matryoshka dolls transcends the language barrier. When the City extended an existing boardwalk from Coney Island into Brighton Beach from 1938 to 1941, it created one of NYC’s finest stretches of ocean-side strolling; day-trippers and longtime residents heartily enjoy the scenery.