Amparo Garcia

Born in New York City in 1954, Amparo Garcia has lived in Brighton Beach all her life. Her parents emigrated from Spain in 1949 and because her father loved the beaches of his native Cádiz, he decided the place to live in New York was Brighton Beach.  Amparo's first memories are playing on the beach, picnicking on home-cooked octopus and empanadas, and going to Coney Island's amusement parks with her family.  She fondly recalls some of the local businesses which are no longer here today: Sea Lane Bakery, Mrs. Stahl's Knishes, Forty Thieves, and Brighton Beach Baths. While many of her Lincoln High School classmates have relocated to the Carolinas and Florida, Amparo has no plans to leave Brighton Beach. "I'm not ready. It's not for me," she says. "I have everything right here."