In Brighton Beach, émigrés from Russia and other former Soviet-bloc countries have carved out an enclave known as Little Odessa, whose abundance of restaurants, stores and nightclubs cater to their tastes—and yours too. Here you’ll find specialties like honey-pepper vodka, rice pilaf and Georgian flatbread filled with cheese. The boardwalk offers the relaxing pastimes of strolling and people-watching, and you can swim or sunbathe on the beach—which is often less crowded than the one in neighboring Coney Island.