Quintessential Urban Mermaid

My grandmother Sofia Olshinetski, who became Sophie Olson, was the quintessential urban mermaid. In summer she would get up with the sun in her 711 Brightwater Court Brighton Beach apartment and put on her flowery print tank suit covered by her chenille pink house dress and wore flip flops. She lived on the top floor, floor 6, in view of the water. She'd press the red "B" basement button on the elevator panel 7 flights to the basement. The basement was very clean painted gray and was all ramps, and no stairs. It was the entrance and exit for bathing beauties, the Superintendent's closet and the row of washing machines. Sophie would cross Brightwater Court walking under the boardwalk to be on Brighton Beach. Yes, she was that close. She'd swim in Sheepshead bay before starting her day. She worked as a hostess in lower Manhattan near my grandfather's teensy store on the Bowery, UNITED BLOWER: fans and motors. Grandma swam every morning before taking the subway into Manhattan, which was one block away, on Brighton Beach Avenue "The Avenue" to everyone in the neighborhood. There was a knishery on the corner a pizza parlor a butcher shop with sawdust on the floor, Woolworth's, a fruit store, a newspaper shop, and a Chinese restaurant that my grandparents ate at EVERY NIGHT! Even as a child I knew Grandma, knishes, and her swimming and subway riding was the life. Even when I lived in the tony suburbs, and then spent summers at farm camp in Vermont. Back then I wanted to raise goats, Jersey cows and have chickens, but deep down I knew Grandma had it going on. I still feel this way. Now my life is just like Grandma's and I am the urban mermaid across the street from the water, swimming daily, living in the city.