A small clip of us greeting our audience while we embark on another trip around Brighton Beach.
My name is Dia
na. When I was 5 years old my family and I immigrated to the United States from Belarus. We lived in Williamsburg and would sometimes dedicate a whole day to go to the beach on Brighton in the summer. After one year of elementary school in the US, I continued my education back in Belarus until 5th grade. This gave me a strong background in Russian traditions, language, and education. At the age of 10, I came back to the US to continue my education and at that point my parents already moved into an apartment in Brighton Beach, two minutes away from the famous boardwalk, and four minutes away from the water. It indeed felt, and still feels, like mini Russia. It is the only neighborhood where you can find people that lived in the US for over 20 years, and yet still lack basic English skills. It is the neighborhood where you don’t have to adjust to anything, you bring your own ideals and ideas. It is diverse in that there are Russian speakers from all over the world, but it is very secluded in that it is only Russian speakers. I’ve lived on Brighton for almost 10 years already and this project changed my viewpoint on the neighborhood and the people.
Hi, I’m Daniel. I have lived on Brighton Beach since I have been born. My parents came here 23 years ago from Ukraine with nothing to their name. They were able to make the best of what they had and create a life that allows us to live comfortably. Because they were immigrants they turned to Brighton Beach for comfort and familiar faces. The environment gave then a sense of comfort because they were not required to learn a new language and they could relate to almost everyone there. I still live on Brighton today. It is an amazing neighborhood that allows for comfort by providing everything needed within walking distance. The only annoying aspect is parking. Due to the fact that most of the neighborhood is composed of buildings, the congestion of cars is insane. I love my neighborhood and the connections that I have been able to make by living her but I don’t see myself staying here after graduation. As for my parents, I don’t see them ever leaving. The community is very comforting for them and because of work they rarely experience it so every time they go out, its something new. I rather move away to a quieter location that is a bit more suburban. Through this project I have opened my eyes to what my community holds and am happy to guide you through the experience of what it means to live in Brighton Beach.
Hello, world! My name is Lauren Vernikov and I have lived near Brighton Beach all 18-years of my life. Even though I don’t live directly in Brighton Beach, I’m only a 10-minute bus ride away that I take almost every day to get to the train. My parents moved from Ukraine and Russia to Brooklyn with a $100 and a suitcase to their names. They moved to where we live now and became more immersed in the Slavic lifestyle of Brighton Beach. I am a daily visitor of Brighton Beach and love the beach and the boardwalk when the weather is warm. While doing this project, my perspective of Brighton Beach did not change; the experiences that we had only enhanced of how I thought about the area. With a homey feeling of furs and the smell of familiar food, it redeems for the fact that people can be very rude and cold. With unlimited access to hot food and medicine, what else can a person need? Still, it’s an interesting neighborhood to be around and we hope to portray the atmosphere through our website.
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.
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