Brighton Beach Memoirs Archives

Hanging Out in Coney Island & Brighton Beach

Last week my family and I went for a day out at the shore in Coney Island and Brighton Beach. A long time favorite haunt of ours, I was eager for a dose of this very Southern part of Brooklyn. These coastal towns may have a kitsch way about them, but they are some of the most uniquely fun parts of the five boroughs. After enduring a bit of traffic to get there, we finally found ourselves on Surf Avenue, in the heart of it all. Our first stop: Luna Park (Surf Ave at W 10 St; 718-373-5862, lunaparknyc.com. $35 for four hours of unlimited rides on Read More

A List of Favorite Jewish Films, Inside and Out

When I polled a group of friends recently about their favorite Jewish films, I got a beautiful mishmash of responses. This is to be expected - you always get the usual suspects like Fiddler's Roof, but you also get a list of comedies that touch on the Jewish experience from writers and directors like Woody Allen and Nora Ephron. Most have incredible heart and have left a mark on our minds for our entire lives. Because in these movies we discover our people's histories and learn more about ourselves by watching. Films don't have to be overtly Read More