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"I remember the time in 1996 when my family came to NYC. The Brighton was very lively and the restaurants were doing pretty well. The place was bright after 9:00PM with lots of people. Today it is dead after 9:00PM."

Yep. Probably from around 1989-99, its was booming still. The George HW Bush recession had no effect on the area, other than homeless alkies milling around. All the people in Brighton were coming here with $$, then getting wefare, food stamps etc. I often saw old Russian guys paying for their smoked fish, reaching to hand off their foods stamps, having enough gold in rings and bracelets on that hand to buy my car.

All those people you went to school with probably got married at Holiday Inns or Ramadas too. Not at the National or Rossiya.

Who is the Jew selling the over priced chicken? Is that Melrose? On the ocean side of Brighton Beach Ave? Years ago I heard that guy owns half of Brighton, on that side of the street.

On a funny aside, there used to be about 4 luncheonette/coffee shops in Brighton. When the Russians started moving in, they all slowly died off. Russian breakfast wasn't scrambled eggs and bacon with coffee. It was a piece of Melba toast topped with a slice of pickled egg and a sardine, washed down with a shot of vodka. Seeing guys down that trash used to make me cringe.

Fun conversation, but you are still an annoying weirdo.

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Yes, the Jewish place is the Melrose. One restaurant has closed there, I think its Imperator, they are building something new. The Russian food places are still there, some of them even have 4-6 tables for a breakfast and lunch. Old people are there all the time eating pirozhki and coffee.