Best Things To Do At Brighton Beach, New York

Introduction 

Brighton Beach is also known as Little Odessa a reference to the Russian city from which many of its residents comes from. Most people living here speak in the Russian language. The Brooklyn which is a neighborhood is known to offer food emporiums and restaurants. The Brighton Beach was once a destination to wealthy people living in the New York. Additionally, other groups from the Soviet Union settled here due to the common bond the Russian people share. According to Kusnyer (2015), there is a sense of togetherness among different ethnic groups in Brighton Beach. Unlike in the New York City, Little Odessa is like a community since all people speak in the same language. As soon one arrives in this Brighton Beach Avenue, one can notice that very few people speak English and most liquor stores are full of Soviet’s honey pepper vodka. The place looks beautiful since the stores are decorated with plush as if they were transplanted from the Old world. 

Neighborhood History 

The neighborhood saw the Jewish immigrants especially those who survived from the Holocaust in the 1950s. The second immigration began in the late 1970s when the Russian government relaxed its emigration policy. Other people from Armenian, Georgian and Uzbekistan came later in the 1990s and settle in this region. Other Soviet bloc countries have camped in this place because it is full of restaurants, stores, and nightclubs which suite their tastes. Most restaurants have specialized in preparing Georgian flatbread which is filled with cheese. The best thing is that people can swim on the beach or sunbathe, unlike Coney Island which is overcrowded. Little Odessa is a family place due to its tranquil atmosphere, and step right up the pace. The place is so quiet such that seagulls can be heard together with accordion players who occasionally comes to play here. Shirtless men are always seen pedaling bicycles and chatting with servers from the restaurants along the 4th and 7th Brighton streets. Little Odessa is the ideal place where people can go for summer or early fall. 

Neighborhood Statistics Summary 

Brighton Beach has a population of 80,285 with a male population of 38,113, female population of 42,172. The percentage change since 2000 has been 2.2% and after 2010 was 2.1%. The median age of people living in this place is 44 years. In terms of occupational employment, the white collar is 16,604 for the white collar and 6,075 for the Blue Collar. The number of households living in Brighton Beach is 34,208 (Brighton Beach, 2018). Family Households is 19,663 and the non-family households are 14,545. There are 7,906 households with children while those without children 26,303. The average people per household is 2.31. The number of students in households is 4,272, while those in college is 6707. The number of people with an associate degree is 6,472 while those with Bachelor’s degree is 17,107. The married people in this area is 29,752, those who never married is 18,377, 4306 for those who have separated. The number of widowed is 3,135 while the divorced is 3,904. For the Household income and average income in Brighton Beach is $33,039 for median income under 25. The median income for 25-44 is $47,417 while for the 45 to 64 years is $56,897. The median income for the people over 65 years is $31,818. The average Household income is $60,906 while the median household income is $42,714. The percentage increase in income since 2000 is 38% whereas the increase in percentage since 2010 was 1%. The average household net worth $566,809 and the median home sales price is $499,800. The tax rate charged on sales is 8.875% while the average household total expenditure is $49,563. 

The averages weather for Brighton Beach is 39.10F high in January, and 27.00F. In July, the average temperature is 84.5F high and 69.80F low. Annual Precipitation is 69.30 F while the Air pollution index is 107. The total household expenditure is 90% of the national average. Contributions are approximately 86% of the national average consumer spending (Brighton Beach, 2018). 

Gentrification is the term referred to as the arrival of wealthier people in a certain urban district. This results in a relative increase in the value of the property and home prices. It also results in an increase in character and culture of the people. Gentrification may also mean the displacement of poor people by wealthy people (Flag Wars, 2003). The impact of gentrification has more positive aspects compared to the negatives. This is because it results in a decrease in crime, investment of new buildings and infrastructure and increase in economic activities in the neighborhoods. The new arrivals enjoy more benefits compared to the established residents who find themselves marginalized in terms of wealth. 

Gentrification is the process of regeneration of the new incomers who are affluent and wealthy. These individuals are known to displace the low-income earners and invest to improve the quality of homes in that place. The process is important since it act as resistant to suburbanization and change the classical invasion processes. Normally, the upper middle class is known to displace the low-income families. The individuals invest in areas which have been devalued due to the uneven development and forces of suburbanization. This subjected has attracted many researchers especially the geographers who try to understand the forces behind gentrification (Smith, 1996). Geographical research in this topic came into limelight in the 1980s where immigrants began flowing in New York Neighborhoods. These were some of the oldest cities in the US which suffered from deindustrialization. The factors causing the gentrification presented a unique historical event in Brighton Beach and neighborhood. 

Gentrification has resulted in conflict in many cities in America. This often is accompanied with racial and economic discrimination (Flag Wars, 2003). Most neighborhood cities face a failure in social justice which is done by wealthy individuals. In this case, the newcomers displace the minority by increasing the rent. Some of the effects of gentrification in terms of demographics are the increase in median income, which results in a reduction in household size and low-income families which are replaced by single couples. The increase in rents results to the displacement of the poor and evictions. This is because the rental units are converted into luxury housing and ownership. 

Brighton Beach boarders Coney Island on the West and Manhattan Beach on the East. Initially, the area exhibited the middle-class seaside restaurants and boomed when rail connections were made across Brooklyn. By the end of the 19th century, Coney was considered as a seaside extension of NY districts. This place became a family place with three major parks. With decentralization, the Brooklyn became outdated due to the infrastructure and was unable to offer new attractions. With the decline of Coney Island and the Brighton Beach was growing, Immigration became significant in this area. 

The increased immigration changed the ethnic and class composition which resulted to the transformation of the landscape ion the residence area. This population trends and housing changes occurred in the 1970s, 80s and 90s. The immigration process which began in 1990 played a key role in immigration in the Brighton Beach. Unemployment became high in this region and the non-Hispanic blacks remained in small proportions in the residential areas. This reflects the geography racial segregation in terms of between Coney and Brighton Beach. However, in the northern part of Brighton Beach, there is a high proportion of Hispanic residents majorly coming from Puerto Rico. The housing indicators were also mixed since in some areas there was rental construction while in others there was a demolition of houses. This was done to upgrade the current blocks which resulted to increase housing rates. 

The businesses in the Brighton changed as demographics changed. According to the New York Press, the area is rich in Russo Baltic Scardi food. It is also evident especially with the establishment of St. Petersburg Café which offered Russian foods. The establishments of Russian restaurants, nightclubs, specialized clothing stores, and food markets reflect the evolving demography of the population. This also made it expensive to establish a business in this location. In Brighton Beach, the immigration of Russians replaced small businesses that Jewish entrepreneurs had established in the early 1930s. The new food stores were more specialized in dealing with the growing market like the establishment of leather shops from the traditional discount clothing stores. According to Zimmerman (1998), among the owners of the upper floors of commercial buildings along Brighton Beach Avenue were residents from Puerto Rico. In the early 1990s, many of those buildings were bought by the Russian entrepreneurs and the upper floors were converted into offices. 

Neighborhood Observation Summary 

Most changes in the commercial and residential landscapes of Brighton Beach reflect dynamism. Many trends observed in this area indicates a gentrification process discussed in the geographical literature. However, other changes reflect a complex interpretation. Immigration of Russians in this place has increased the average incomes, improved the occupational and educational status of the neighborhood. Additionally, the area has sustained a rebound in housing demand, and the new population is as a result of retail demand. However, the increase in house rates is beginning to overburden the low-income residents though it’s hard to obtain historical data showing geographical displacement (Smith, 1996). 

Brighton has enjoyed an immigration of new individuals mostly from Russian. Some of these individuals are professionals with diversified knowledge and skills and ready to establish themselves in the New York’s dynamic economy. The retail and housing demand have increased in this region. However, gentrification of Brighton Beach has resulted in unemployment and poverty in the neighborhoods. Some of the positive issues identified in Brighton Beach include an increase in income levels and household wealth. 

The occupational and educational credentials of other people from other countries are not recognized when immigrants go to the US. This makes many immigrants seeks for entrepreneurship. Many of these immigrants included the Jews and Russians who escaped the German’s slavery in the Soviet Union. Therefore, those who flew in the US secured an opportunity to redefine themselves and recognize their self-identity. 

Conclusion 

The Russian community in Brighton Beach is bounded by a shared history, culture and a common language. It also indicates a problem that arises when mobile Russians attempt to look for new houses in Manhattan Beach. This identity highlights the invisible processes that would remain unknown and hidden for many years. In the media front, the Russian image is portrayed as entrepreneurship which is supported by the underground economy in Brighton Beach. The development of this area indicates a complex process of neighborhood change which constitutes the invasion succession procedure and gentrification process. The Brighton Beach has become more developed and a tourist destination compared to Coney Island. Lastly, the Russians are now moving from Brighton Beach and going to Manhattan Beach which was once a wealthy Jewish enclave (Yardley, 1998). 

References 

Brighton Beach, (2018) Brighton Beach  Population Demographics. Retrieved from 

https://www.point2homes.com/US/Neighborhood/NY/Brooklyn/Brighton-Beach- 

Demographics.html 

Flag Wars, (2003) what is Gentrification? Retrieved from 

http://archive.pov.org/flagwars/what-is-gentrification/ 

Kusnyer, L., (2015) Must-See Brighton Beach. Retrieved from 

https://www.nycgo.com/articles/must- see-Brighton-beach-slideshow 

Smith, N. 1996. The New Urban Frontier: Gentrification and the Revanchist City. London and 

New York: Routledge 

Yardley, J. 1998. For Russian New York, a 'Sub- urb' next Door: Many View Brighton Beach as 

The 'City: and Manhattan Beach is Now Home. New York Times, September 23, B1. 

Zimmerman, C. 1998. Personal communication. Forty-year Brighton Beach resident. 

(November).