Author: Anton Khrystenko (Page 2 of 2)

Hi! My name is Anton, and I have lived around Brighton Beach for over 15 years. Much has changed in my community since the first day I moved in with my parents, but the atmosphere remains essentially the same. My family is originally from Ukraine, but we immigrated to the United States during the late 1990s. My parents came to Brighton Beach first by themselves to establish a foundation, and then they took me from my grandparents in Ukraine. We’ve lived in the same 3-bedroom apartment since we’ve came to this country, and Brighton Beach has been our backyard and neighborhood ever since.  We always shop for food, clothes, and other necessities at Brighton Beach because we want to support our local Slavic community and partly because the prices are much cheaper than in other places. I always wanted to show a presentation of what my area has to offer, and now I have such a fortunate opportunity. Visiting all the family-owned stores, the famous boardwalk, and other popular sites both during the spring and during the winder really changed my opinion and understanding of Brighton Beach. When I first embarked on my journey throughout Brighton I thought that the locals would be much friendlier and the community would shine; however, I was surprised to see that my area is very reserved and prejudiced towards different people.