Ms. A K.
Yelp
Non-residents, adjust your expectations. Part of me loves that you all come here to enjoy the beach and spend money on our businesses, but damn it all if you aren't the most needy, complicated, whiney people ever ....
No, we don't HAVE to speak English. That's the beauty of New York, particularly South Brooklyn ... English is optional, and yes, we do talk in our languages about how ridiculous you look in your Crocs and khakis. Just like you think we don't understand you when you make fun of our elderly in their speedos and brightly dyed hair (we do, we just don't care) ... it's a give-and-take, and when you're at this beach, we're mostly giving, so you need to sit down and take it.
Some will smoke on the beach, because even the police officers have learned to turn a blind eye. They know where they are, they know the majority ethnicity they're dealing with ... you should, too. I KNOW it's a law that's been enforced for ages ... but, also, no one here cares. So get over yourself.
Some will also drink on the beach - and then proceed to NOT make fools of themselves and vomit on the nice, quiet people tanning next to them because they know how to handle our liquor.
The beach is dirty at times, particularly as the day closes ... this is a free space in New York. Assume all things that are free, public gathering spaces will be dirty. People are animals in free spaces. The good thing is, you get to go home to your over-priced apartments in the cool areas of the city and never think about it again - this is our home, and you left your garbage behind for us. Spasibo bolshoe.
Yes, the bathrooms by Brighton 1st leave a lot to be desired - coincidentally, they're also shared with the entire amusement park and beach area of Coney Island, so don't judge the entirety of Brighton just because its public restroom was gross.
Brighton Beach is the best beach in the city. The further down the boardwalk from Coney Island beach and that monstrosity they call an amusement park, the true-er this is. It's free, there's sand, there's water, there's space, no one is going to bother you, you have all the time in the world to just soak it up and watch a great collection of natives get together and enjoy some good weather.
So stop complaining and lower your expectations. Life is a whole lot better that way.