Walk Your pups at Brighton Beach

Also known as "Little Odessa" due its tight-knit Russian and Eastern European communities, Brooklyn's Brighton Beach is a lively neighborhood with many high-rise residential buildings. Traditional ethnic restaurants and food markets line Brighton Beach Avenue. The beach and boardwalk here are more laid-back than nearby Coney Island, catering largely to locals. Splashy nightclubs attract partiers in the evenings. If you're someone who enjoys some quite peaceful time by the shore, then is your best option close to Manhattan. This beach is between Coney Island beach on the west and Manhattan beach on the east. It takes an hour to get here from Midtown Manhattan via B subway line, but the good thing is that the beach is just a block away from the Brighton subway station. It's a narrow, pretty beach with a promenade full of benches. The restaurants along the boardwalk offer good food but are also expensive. Weekday evenings are usually crowded with old people who come there for a swim or for dining.