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I've heard the area is almost entirely made up of Russian immigrants and all of the signs for stores and things are in Russian. I have two children and am looking for a quiet part of the city to raise them in, and the schools that are zoned to Brighton Beach seem to be pretty good.
The thing is, my wife is hispanic and speaks no English, but both of my children speak both languages. We're kind of worried about feeling like outcasts because from what we've heard it's one of the most insular parts of the city and she doesn't want the kids growing up in the spanish-speaking parts of the city, even though I told her they're not necessarily bad (she's from Chile and the Bronx and Queens have a reputation that precedes them around the world, even if it's not entirely deserved...)
So we've agreed on Brighton Beach. It's safe, schools are up to our standards, looks good, we're just worried about the cultural makeup of the neighborhood and maybe not being welcomed because we don't speak Russian or keep any Russian customs, although I did have 2 roommates from Russia in college and learned at least a little bit of Russian culture.
Anyway, any info would be appreciated.
EDIT: By the way, I'm a white American male, met my wife while I was in Chile for a few years for work.
I used to live in Brighton Beach up until 2004, so I have some firsthand experience. But keep in mind that I was going to elementary school back then, so it's from a different perspective than an adult.
Brighton Beach is known for having a Russian community, but what people don't realize is that there is a section with a lot of Hispanics and Asians (specifically, Mexicans and Arabs). That section is mostly north of Brighton Beach Avenue, south of Shore Parkway, between Ocean Parkway and Coney Island Avenue. There are stats that back these observations up.
Unfortunately, the areas immediately north of Brighton Beach Avenue, up to maybe Neptune Avenue are kind of run-down, and I would imagine the crime rate is somewhat high (on that safety map, I put it down as yellow without thinking twice, and I was even considering putting that small section as orange). I've been to the other parts of Brighton Beach at night (east of CI Avenue) and there were drunks shouting and things like that, so I imagine it would be even worse in that section.
To my knowledge, there are 2 elementary schools in Brighton Beach. P.S.253, which is in the more diverse part, and P.S.225, which is in the more Russian part. I remember getting some stats that said that P.S.225 was something like 50% White, 35% Hispanic, 10% Asian, and 5% Black. Being in elementary school, I could care less about race, but looking back, that seems fairly accurate.
I moved to SI before finishing elementary school (and that was a contributing factor to us moving. My parents felt that there were too many incidents for an elementary school. Me personally, I've heard of fights, but I don't know if the "incident" rate was really that high to be of concern.) None of my classmates paid attention to race, and none of the parents really cared what race the children were. I mean, there's always going to be oddballs, but what can you do?
To give you an idea, I consider myself Hispanic (born in South America), with a little bit of Russian blood mixed in.
I was asking if it's socially viable for non-Russian people to live in Brighton Beach. Yes or no?
It depends where in BB. If this were the 80's or earlier, then yes. But its not. The residents are 2nd and 3rd generation Russian. The stores are predominently Russian. Thus if its south of Neptune Ave then no.
I've heard the area is almost entirely made up of Russian immigrants and all of the signs for stores and things are in Russian. I have two children and am looking for a quiet part of the city to raise them in, and the schools that are zoned to Brighton Beach seem to be pretty good.
The thing is, my wife is hispanic and speaks no English, but both of my children speak both languages. We're kind of worried about feeling like outcasts because from what we've heard it's one of the most insular parts of the city and she doesn't want the kids growing up in the spanish-speaking parts of the city, even though I told her they're not necessarily bad (she's from Chile and the Bronx and Queens have a reputation that precedes them around the world, even if it's not entirely deserved...)
So we've agreed on Brighton Beach. It's safe, schools are up to our standards, looks good, we're just worried about the cultural makeup of the neighborhood and maybe not being welcomed because we don't speak Russian or keep any Russian customs, although I did have 2 roommates from Russia in college and learned at least a little bit of Russian culture.
Anyway, any info would be appreciated.
EDIT: By the way, I'm a white American male, met my wife while I was in Chile for a few years for work.
Any neighborhood where a race is dominant you will not fit in.
I'm Russian and I think Brighton Beach is garbage. It's only good for eating in "Tatiana" and swimming or using the beach. I'd go somewhere else if I was you, especially since you got kids and your wife is Hispanic. Those Russians are mostly like rednecks of Russia/Ukraine who came here decades ago and are pretty racist plus it's not the greatest place safety wise in regards to your kids.
Btw, I saw the owner-Tatiana recently in her Miami restaurant.
If you want a little more space and don't mind adding 20 minutes to your commute each way, would you consider NJ or LI? That would also solve your "good" school problem. The rental prices aren't much different from Brooklyn or Queens. However, depending on your location, you may need at least one car to be practical.
Yea the car isn't going to happen, I don't have money to pay for it, insure it, pay $9 a day in tolls, and pay for parking. No way. Public transportation is a must unfortunatley.
Yea the car isn't going to happen, I don't have money to pay for it, insure it, pay $9 a day in tolls, and pay for parking. No way. Public transportation is a must unfortunatley.
Here's another vote for Gravesend/Bensonhurst/Bath Beach - within walking distance (1-2 miles give or take) to at least 3 different train lines and 1 or 2 different bus lines, diverse, not as quaint as Astoria, Queens. It's about 40-50 minutes into NYC, relatively close to Brooklyn beaches, Coney Island, city parks abound - though nice parks are in Marine Park or down Bay Parkway by the water. Agree about parking - insurance in brooklyn is beyond ridiculous as is the lack of parking - nothing wrong with public transportation, especially the trains - mainly reliable. Public schools can be hit or miss, it really depends on the motivation of student to excel and avoid some of the you find them everywhere bad influences. Rents can be anywhere from $900 and up for 2 bedrooms - there is a mix of usually multi-family houses, some apartment buildings and single family homes.
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