Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
a Black Sea resort town. The cafes are surprisingly pricey, but there's plenty of cheap street fare a block inland.
Take a left and walk toward the El, which runs above Brighton Beach Avenue, a bustling street dotted with caviar
shops and street vendors.
For total immersion in a foreign land, check out the
M & I International
(
718/615-1011
) supermarket at 249
Brighton Beach Ave. You can stock up for the trip home, or enjoy Russian pastries or smoked fish in the upstairs
cafe. Prices are all outer-borough low.
To enjoy a more sit-down experience, join the foodies making a pilgrimage to
Café Glechik
(
718/616-0766;
glechik.com) at 3159 Coney Island Ave. This petite Ukrainian restaurant is known for its dumplings, served in
two supple varieties (
pelmeni,
folded like tortellini, and
vereniki,
which resemble pirogi). There are also excellent
soups, salads, and kabobs, and most everything comes in well under $10.
Special Events
• With body paint and beads, plus a few strategic scraps of fabric to keep things legal, the avatars of New
York's retro-culture scene transform themselves into mermaids and Neptunes at the annual
Mermaid
Parade,
Surf Avenue from West 21st to West 10th streets (
718/372-5159;
www.coneyisland.com/mer-
maid.shtml
). Classic cars join the procession as it works its way east on Surf Avenue, dispersing when the
participants dash down the beach to the ageless Atlantic. It takes place on a Saturday around the summer
solstice.
