... Recommend this page to a friend.

Unlike my "beach" and the "boardwalk" pages (tours), I'll spare you usual wordy, lengthy, verbose? comments. I suppose these pictures speak for themselves; that's if you can understand the Russian alphabet and the Russian language (if you click those Russian links, make sure you come back). I'm fascinated by all languages except "ebonics" (lower case intentional) which I always thought was a cheapening of the English language. Politicians, always trying to be politically correct, were even talking about having ebonics a proper subject in the schools. I think that was shelved by the many learned and intelligent people "of the Black persuasion" all over the world, and in NYC, the city where I think the idea started. I'm not too proud to say, NYC sure can come up with a clinker now and then.

But the idea of how any language is learned: first the sounds along with the gestures, then putting the sounds together to make a word, and the words together to express a thought with a sentence ... this sequence always interested me. For one's first language, I'm sure proper wording and grammar is learned first by imitation. And what I remember when learning second languages (way back when) was that imitation also played a part but declining nouns and conjugating verbs went far in helping with the language construction. I know studying other languages (with me it was Spanish, Latin, and some German) did wonders with helping me with my first language, English, and now I even take some delight in parsing a sentence to see how it all fits together. All right, back to our subject, Brighton Beach. Studying languages certainly didn't teach me to keep to the subject.

I was going to give a little history lesson here but on second thought, you can make a start for yourself with this Wikipedia page on the subject. Second to languages, the entire internet fascinates me. One can learn anything except how to live forever (a delightful thought in any language). What follows are views of some Brighton Beach streets ... enjoy:

Looks like the north side of Brighton Beach Avenue facing west.

Russians are industrious, hard working, and very much into businesses of all kinds. This requires having mini post offices all over Brighton Beach, and they're still busy. This is after hours; sorry, post office is closed. Well, it's closed now but there's always tomorrow and tomorrow, and tomorrow, which creeps in this petty pace from day to day to the last syllable of recorded time; and all our yesterdays have lighted fools the way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle; life's but a walking shadow, a poor player who struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more. It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. --- err, I suppose you can quote me on that, I won't mind. *s*

A side street of older Brigton Beach; at one time these buildings were luxury living.

This elevated railroad runs the length of most of Brighton Beach Avenue; it connects south Brooklyn with other parts of Brooklyn and with Manhattan (maybe 30 minutes away). It's a street of many shadows and still one of the most vibrant commercial streets in Brooklyn (if not NYC). Rents reach the sky and people come from all over to shop here. The streets might be Brooklyn but the clothes are Italian.

One of these on every block along Brighton Beach Avenue.

As I said, it's a street of many shadows.

Zuckerman's which means you are facing the north side of Brighton Beach Avenue.

Backing u a bit; yep, it's Zuckerman's.

The intersection of Brighton Beach Avenue with Coney Island Avenue; avoid if it you can.

That's the Coney Island Avenue part; it's where the train turns to go north to Manhattan.

A vew from near the boardwalk up Coney Island Avenue towards that intersection.

People who know the corner know that it was famous for Mrs. Stahls knishes; who could forget that?

Besides being good chess players, the Russians are avid book readers.

The same corner but now moving east on Brighton Beach Avenue; the marquis was the Oceana theater.

Turning around and now looking west on Brighton Beach Avenue.

Some friends will recognize this; the entrance to Seacoast Towers.

On the left, with the canopy, is 35 Seacoast Terrace.
Then we have the boardwalk with 1311 around the turn.
Brighton Beach; an interesting place to live.

Any corrections? ... ... you be my guest.