Little Odessa

In 2016, I explored Brighton Beach, a place that feels worlds away from its famous neighbor, Coney Island, despite their shared history as rivals for much of the 20th century. While Coney Island's story has been mythologized, Brighton Beach remains elusive in its cultural identity, even to New Yorkers who crowd its shores every summer. Originally developed as a resort for wealthy Americans, Brighton Beach’s fate changed due to unforeseen economic shifts, including the reconstruction of the railway that made the area more accessible—yet also encouraged visitors to leave by day’s end rather than stay at the grand hotel.

Even as the area fell into decline in the ‘60s and ‘70s, plagued by poverty, drugs, and arson, it never lost its summer crowds. Its population reflected a stark contrast: longtime Black and Latino residents living alongside newly arrived European and Russian Jews, all sharing space with weekend visitors. The neighborhood’s identity began to change in the ‘90s, as waves of immigrants arrived from the former Soviet Union after its collapse, transforming Brighton Beach into ‘Little Odessa,’ with Russian shops, clubs, and restaurants redefining its streets.

Living in Brooklyn during those years, I visited Brighton Beach many times, producing various photographic series. This one stands out as one of the darkest, yet it captures that cinematic chromatic quality that feels as if it could belong in a film. My images focus on Brighton Beach’s architecture and urban landscape, where storefronts, underpasses, and densely packed homes serve as visual markers of a complex cultural heritage. At twilight, the area’s dim streets and neon-lit alleyways reveal a world that feels more like a Russian crime drama than a beach town—a fitting image, as the neighborhood is known for its secret connections to Russian organized crime. For most beachgoers, this hidden side is unseen; they leave by sunset, remembering only the Atlantic view, the sand, and the luxury condos that overlook the ocean, seldom venturing back toward Little Odessa.