20 Comments
Feb 23Liked by Rob Stephenson

The zoning photo!!

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Can you imagine?!

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fascinated to see that once its completed!

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founding
Feb 24Liked by Rob Stephenson

That old Dodge (I think) in pretty decent condition looks like what my grandfather drove. Just one of many favorites in this post. And always, the history!

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Thanks Katie! You should see the inside of that Dodge. Besides the monkeys in the windows there are all sorts of curiosities lining the back window and seats

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Feb 23Liked by Rob Stephenson

Fantastic material, Rob. Thanks for sharing all this research, photos and the incredible stories. Riveting to history buffs and anyone interested in New York.

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Thanks Renato! It’s been a really gratifying project to work on, glad you enjoy it!

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Feb 26·edited Feb 26Liked by Rob Stephenson

Those tree pics are amazing. And thank you for the history, as always.

New York Magazine did a short documentary about the Brighton Beach Babushka Beauty Pageant that has stuck with me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pal9UPR7W9M.

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I love that! The couple is the best - Happy Birthday!

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Feb 22Liked by Rob Stephenson

Thanks for this, Rob! I went to Lincoln HS from 1969-72. Most of my friends lived in Brighton. I also lived on Brighton 5th Street in ‘76, just before it became Little Odessa. Brighton Beach was always one of my favorite neighborhoods. Love the photos.

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Thanks C.L.! I’m sure you have stories to tell!

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Neil Simon grew up in the area, and memorialized his time there in the play "Brighton Beach Memoirs".

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Yes! So did Neil Diamond whose parents ran a clothing store, Diamonds, that Neil worked at

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Feb 22Liked by Rob Stephenson

And Neil Sedaka!

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It’s a Neil-fest!

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Brighton Beach is a hidden gem full of hidden gems. Berikoni Georgian Bakery has the most delicious bread in NYC. The perfect snack for people watching on the beach and boardwalk.

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Nice pics, as usual. The building in your first one has such a weird facade. I'm not sure I've seen anything like it before in New York. But it's your second picture I really love. A photo that rewards some looking. The peculiar sign in the middle. The dogwalker who matched her outfit to her dog. The Q hovering like an eavesdropper.

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Thanks! That building was the first thing I saw in the neighborhood and it remains one of my favorite architectural oddities.

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Apr 27Liked by Rob Stephenson

By pure chance, I walked past this building today. My plan was to walk around Sheepshead Bay and Manhattan Beach, but after that I wandered into Brighton Beach. I took a turn up 6th Street, and there it was! Even stranger in person than it was in the photo.

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It is deserving of landmark status in my book.

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