Is Brighton Beach a Russian neighborhood?

Brighton Beach is famously known as Little Odessa, home to the largest Russian-speaking and post-Soviet immigrant community in the United States, including people of Russian, Ukrainian, and other former Soviet backgrounds. That heritage defines the neighborhood, from the Eastern European markets, bakeries, and restaurants along Brighton Beach Avenue to the language heard on its streets. While the community is diverse and evolving, Brighton Beach remains one of the most distinctly Russian-speaking neighborhoods in the country, which is central to its identity and appeal.