New York City Discount Car Rentals and Brighton Beach

Where you can find Brighton Beach

All Car Rent-A-Car New York City discount car rentals want to help you discover the communities, such as Brighton Beach. This neighborhood is located in southwestern Brooklyn between Coney Island and Manhattan Beach south of Neptune Avenue.

Quick Facts about Brighton Beach

All Car Rent-A-Car New York City discount car rentals asks if you knew:

  • William A. Engeman developed the area in 1868.
  • Henry C. Murphy named Bright Beach after the English resort in 1878.
  • Bright Beach Baths opened in 1907 as an amusement park to provide entertainment, tennis and swimming.
  • To meet increased housing demands in the 1920s, more than 30 six-story apartment buildings with elevators were built south of Brighton Beach Avenue between Ocean Parkway and Coney Island Avenue.

People groups at Brighton Beach

When exploring Brighton Beach, you might be interested in learning more about the history of the area. Aside from a large Jewish population, the community is made up of a mix of immigrant peoples from countries including:

  • Soviet Union
  • Pakistan
  • Vietnam
  • China

Hop in a New York City discount car rentals vehicle and visit the many restaurants, nightclubs, fruit stands, bookstores and other businesses in the Bright Beach area.

Historic Highlights of Brighton Beach

All Car Rent-A-Car New York City discount car rentals have compiled a brief historical outline for the Bright Beach area.

In 1888, the beach in front of Brighton Beach Hotel was in need of desperate repair due to the beach’s extreme erosion. The 500-foot long, three-story hotel weighed 6,000 tons. Using 120 rail cars, the workers moved the hotel inland 600 feet. The official move began April 3, 1888 and was completed on June 29, 1888. Not one mirror or window was broken.

On January 6, 1893, a fire ravaged West Brighton Hotel, Balmer’s Bathing Pavilion and other buildings. Estimated loss due to the fire was $250,000.

In 1894, the most notorious political boss John Y. McKane was sentenced to serve six years at Sing Sing prison. He was charged with voter tampering and fraud.

In 1895, Captain Paul Boyton opened the world’s first enclosed amusement park that charged admission. The Sea Lion Park featured Shoot-the-Chutes water slide, a Sea Lion Show and the Old Mill ride.

Another fire, this time on May 27, 1899, destroys eight blocks, which included sixty buildings of West Brighton. Seventeen were badly injured. Estimated loss due to the blaze was about $800,000. Stauch’s Dance Hall and Feltman’s big casino were burned to the ground. Firefighters from 18 engine companies fought the flames for five hours.

All Car Rent-A-Car New York City discount car rentals notes that Lamarcus Thompson built the world’s first amusement railroad, Switchback Railroad, in 1884. He constructed the contraption with a pair of wooden undulating tracks on a 600-foot long structure. The train cost $1,600 to build. Thompson charged ten cents per ride. He made about $600 to $700 per day.

In 1884, the world’s first coaster makes its debut.

Steeplechase Park was opened in 1897. George Tilyou gets the rights to a British inventor’s horse racing ride and improves it. He makes it his feature attraction for his park that stretches 15 acres along the beach. He also featured other rides in his park. If you were to attend the park, you would only pay one price to ride all the attractions as many times as you wanted.

If you want to discover the historic fabric and richness of Brighton Beach, let a New York City discount car rentals vehicle take you there to experience it first-hand.

Check out the Bronx car rental All Car Rent a Car location at 138 City Island Avenue, Bronx, NY 10464

Motels in Brighton Beach