Brighton Beach Memories

Nine years I've lived in Brooklyn—15 in New York—and while I have ventured to Coney Island several times, I never realized that just up the boardwalk are the wonderfully authentic, richly ethnic neighborhoods of Brighton Beach, Manhattan Beach and Sheepshead Bay—so close and yet a world away from the tourists, the weekend beachcombers and so many kids running around unleashed like rabid wildebeests.

My gal pal Val's late mother grew up in the area, so we ventured down the Q subway line on a beautiful Sunday to explore the wealth of diversity, enjoy the sun—and see if we could find the childhood home of her mom. Let's take a walk together, shall we?Old money...New money...Val's mom's childhood home... then...And now...So long for now...