Russian district in New York: the story of "Little Odessa"

Ask any American where the Russians live in New York, and he will point you without hesitation to the side of Long Island, where Brooklyn and its separate administrative districts are located. It is here that the district, called "Little Odessa", is inhabited mainly by natives of the former USSR. It's called Brighton Beach, and most of the restaurants, shops and even newspaper offices are Russian-language names.

District History

Its current name of the area of Brooklyn was in honor of the eponymous resort, located in the UK. Soon a railway was laid here, which later became a branch of the New York underground. In the early twentieth century, the area attracted tourists, and later Brighton Beach and at all became a fashionable resort where rich Europeans came to rest.

Everything was radically changed by the Second World War. The area from the popular turned into a place of residence of the poor and for some time was considered depressive. After a while, the birth rate in Brooklyn grew and the area gradually began to develop again. To a greater extent this was facilitated by the influx of immigrants from the Soviet Union. Soon here formed a kind of Russian district in New York. Brooklyn attracted immigrants from Eastern Europe for its cheapness, as well as a successful infrastructure, a successful transport interchange and a location near the coast.

Unprivileged, Brighton remained until the end of the last century, when the collapse of the USSR followed, and further restructuring. The paradox, but these events gave a powerful impetus to the development of "Little Odessa", because together with poor Soviet citizens, a stream of former Russian businessmen poured into the States.

Infrastructure

The first generation who moved to Brighton, did everything to ensure that their children did not just know English, but also did not forget Russian. Already at the beginning of the new century, the Russian district in New York was filled with shops and restaurants where Russian-speaking staff worked and it was possible to buy Russian products. Near the coast was built a magnificent theater "Millennium", and the entire post-Soviet beau monde lived in a luxurious residential complex Oceana. Transport interchange Brooklyn and to this day remains one of the best in New York.

"Little Odessa"

In most local banks, offices, entertainment and shopping centers, Russian is more of a norm than an exception, and you can hear it here more often than English. Every week in "Little Odessa" there are performances of Russian pop stars, so there is practically no talk of nostalgia for local people.

From the coast of Brighton is separated 100 meters of snow-white sand, whether it is necessary to say that in the summer time it is just a paradise for tourists? All beaches are equipped with free toilets and soda water machines. On the sea around the clock on duty, lifeguards, and along the shoreline there are specially designated places for fishing enthusiasts.

Development prospects

To date, the Russian district in New York, along with neighboring Coney Island, is considered one of the rapidly growing areas. According to experts, these two administrative centers are the most promising in terms of investment for the next decade.

Population

According to the latest population census, in "Little Odessa" is home to slightly more than 23 thousand people. It should be noted at once that this figure is nothing more than a formality, as far as not all residents enter into lease agreements and, accordingly, are not included in the statistics. In addition, in the summer season, the population of the district increases by 2-3 times due to visiting tourists. With regard to gender, in Brighton, men and women are in approximate equality.

The Russian district in New York fully justifies its name: 36% of the inhabitants of the administrative center do not know or do not speak English well, while in the agglomeration as a whole this figure does not exceed 7%. About 73% of the inhabitants of "Little Odessa" are emigrants, and according to New York this indicator is within 22%.

Despite the fact that in Brooklyn as a whole a very high number of people with incomes above the average, the Russian district in New York as a whole shows a low standard of living. For example, about 30% of the population lives in poverty, and the number of cars per capita is almost half that of New York.

This is not surprising. Such a dispersion is typical for present-day Russia and most of the post-Soviet countries. While some are bathed in luxury, the latter are forced to seek means for existence.

Along with this, it is the width of the middle-income population that determines the quality of life in the country as a whole. Well, while Brighton Beach is really "Little Odessa" or "Moscow", rather than the largest agglomeration of the United States on the Mediterranean coast.