What's It Like To Live There?

Living in Brighton

Brighton is a borough and seaside resort in the county of East Sussex, England, 50 miles south of London. More than 400,000 people live in the Brighton and Hove conurbation and the town is one of the most popular and cosmopolitan in Britain.

In 1783 the Prince of Wales (later George IV) commissioned the Royal Pavilion, which has become a major landmark of the town and now houses a museum, library and art gallery. The town is famous for its Regency squares and terraces, the picturesque "lanes" where antiques shops and boutiques abound, as well as the famous pier, a thriving centre of entertainment.

The beaches are wide, clean and virtually sand free! Pebbles are part of the scene and 4 million visitors every year enjoy the facilities offered. The pier has a selection of white-knuckle rides and hi tech computer games, while the promenade on beach level has been developed to house a wide choice of restaurants, bars and arts and crafts shops.

The Sussex countryside is just minutes away, the famous Downs offer walking, riding and hang gliding and dozens of picture postcard villages give an opportunity to get away from it all with a quiet drink.

Brighton Marina

Established for just over twenty years, the Marina complex has to be the most important and significant development in Brighton in recent years. When you think of Marinas you think of boats, chandlery shops and not much else, well think again! This complex is a self-contained village. Modern apartments and houses rub cheek by jowl with a mix of shops, pubs and restaurants.

Typically the apartments are two bedroomed, although you will find variations, usually they are equipped to a high standard with the majority boasting a balcony (or two). The houses are town houses of either three or four bedrooms.

The range of shops cover small local stores and extend to an ASDA supermarket. Entertainment is taken care of by the UGC Multi-plex cinema, three pubs, a plethora of Restaurants and even a Bowling Alley. If you want to get fit, try the David Lloyd centre.

The Marina is not that far from town, being very close to Sussex Square and just below Marine Gate. It's still very easy to get a taxi or a bus, with a few routes terminating here, while others pass on the main road above the complex.

Houses In The Brighton Lanes

Taxis

All taxis are licensed and can either be booked over the telephone or taken from one of a series of ranks. The main ones in Brighton are at the station or opposite Churchill Square. They are all metered and offer very good value for money.

Buses

Buses cover all areas of Brighton and Hove, as well as the outlying areas. During the day a lot of the routes operate as frequently as every five minutes. Brighton and Hove buses are the main operator www.buses.co.uk and even operate night buses on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening / morning. All are very reasonable and offer weekly saver passes. Brighton and Hove buses have recently started to name buses on some of the routes, all are either famous residents or famous people associated with the city. Sitting in traffic you could be staring at'The Who' (They filmed Quadrophenia in Brigton) whilst sitting in front of ''The Prince Regent'.

The Streets Bustle With Shoppers On Sunny Days

Shopping

The main shopping area for "high street" names is to be found on Western Road and at the Churchill square shopping complex. Within a short walking distance of each other, you will find, Woolworth's, Marks and Spencer, Next, Virgin Megastore, WH Smith and Debenhams.

High street shopping continues down North Road, with Boots the chemist and at the far end the local department store of Hanningtons, which first opened in Brighton in 1808.

However, Brighton is not just known as a town where you can get your usual run of the mill items. We have a series of roads and paths known collectively as "The Lanes." Situated between the seafront and North Street are some very narrow streets, where you can buy a very diverse range of consumables. During the summer this area is very busy with tourists eagerly soaking up the atmosphere.

The North Laines on the opposite side of North Road are very different. These are normal streets, (some of which are closed to cars on a Saturday) but the difference is that if you are looking for that rare (vinyl) record or a rather quirky gift then this is the place to head for. There are a number of "themed" shops selling items from the sixties, or items to do with the "mod" craze.

Eating & Drinking

TIs something that we do very well in Brighton! Seemingly every taste is catered for. There are a plethora of Pubs, Wine bars and Restaurants catering for all sorts of palettes.

Again take a look in both The Lanes and North Laines (mainly vegetarian) for small locally run businesses. Alternatively a short walk down the sea front is Little Preston street, which is the food road. It may only be approximately 300 yards long, but you will find restaurants on both sides of the road.

Public houses are scattered around every road in Brighton from the seafront right through to the edge of town. Note: Public Houses / Bars are usually open from 11am to 11pm Monday to Saturday with Sundays being 12noon until 10:30pm. Some pubs will be closed in the afternoon during the Winter season.

Nightlife

In Central Brighton we have the Theatre Royal on New Road (almost opposite the Leaders office) where plays and musicals are held Monday to Saturday. On the sea front we have The Brighton Centre, where there is a very diverse range of activities, from formal exhibitions, through Pop concerts to a Holiday on Ice extravaganza. In addition several pubs have small Theatres attached.

Nightclubs open six days a week until 2am. (Closed Sunday's). These are scattered across town and are generally either 'straight' or Gay.

Dining Alfresco In Brighton

Special Events & Festivals

Are too numerous to mention. The obvious ones are "The Brighton Festival" which is held at various venues across town in May, this is a celebration of the arts and encompasses many free street entertainments as well as paid-for Theatre based events.

Gay Pride is held during the summer and ranks alongside London and Manchester. This is usually held in Preston Park.

During the course of the year there are a number of "runs" from London to Brighton, the most famous of which is the London to Brighton veteran car rally. (Known as the old crocks run) Immortalised in the film "Genevieve" this is held on the last Sunday of October.

For all of these events (and more) you are advised to check the Evening Argus web site: www.thisisbrighton.co.uk

St James Street

The majority of the Gay Bars and clubs are around this area. The bars include the usual array of Cabaret, Karaoke as well as somewhere to drink. (Usual pub hours apply.) The two gay clubs are here: Club Revenge on the Old Steine and Secrets on Steine Street. For more information visit www.gaybrighton.co.uk

Kemp Town

Further East, at the End of St. James Street, we enter the area known as Kemp town. This is an extremely desirable area to live, with accommodation ranging from small flats to large Regency apartments / houses in the Sussex Square area. (As well as others). This is a small self contained community with it's own small shopping area with a diverse range of local shops.

Pavilion

28 New Road
Brighton
East Sussex
BN1 1UG

« Branch Page

____

Western Road

119-120 Western Road
Brighton
East Sussex
BN1 2AD

« Branch Page

____