I would like to live in Brighton and Hove

Worthing's not that bad, "old people" is more Eastbourne and Bexhill!

As Brighton has got more and more expensive in terms of property, some of the surrounding places have got a bit more "Brightonised". Several people have told me recently that Shoreham is getting a really cool vibe about it, that might be worth checking out.

Brighton also has a lot of homelessness, significant areas of deprivation, and both drug-related deaths and the crime rate are relatively high. You'd need to pick your area carefully imo.

I moved to Sussex 30-odd years ago, and it has got progressively more seedy since then.

People never seem to understand that it's not only wealthy DFLs who want to move to desirable areas. Brighton is a hub for transient/homeless communities and rife with drug use. It doesn't make it a bad place to live IMO, I only left because I couldn't afford it, but it's attractive to all kinds of people including less 'desirable' characters

Not nearly as many as before Brexit

This is my experience too , a close family member lives there , there is a totally different vibe at night compared to daytime .
I find it a little intimidating i don't actually like the place much at all, there are much nicer places to live .

You're answering your own question, you're asking why it's so expensive if it's rough then listing the reasons you want live there. Other people want to live there for the same or similar reasons. Anywhere vaguely commutable to London is more expensive. Your budget isn't going to get what you want in Brighton.

Brighton and Hove is so much more than just Brighton town centre! Hove is just next door and is much more residential with great places to eat and drink etc. a lovely seafront, a couple of beautiful parks and a very friendly vibe in general. It's expensive though.
Look at Portslade maybe, which is an easy ride into Brighton. Seaford is lovely too, but further along the coast going East.

You could (maybe) get a small 2 bed flat, or otherwise there are some nice shared ownership flats about.

It's a bit awkward with primary schools at the moment...because no one with kids can afford to live here, some of the less popular primary schools are closing because they are undersubscribed, and then the popular primary schools are more oversubscribed than usual.

I do think it's a great place to bring up kids though.

Have a look at Eastbourne. Like Worthing it’s been tainted with an old person town vibe, but is great for young families. 30 mins on the train to Brighton and you’d get a good property for £250k

It's not just for old people 🙄

It used to be but now a lot of the businesses from Brighton have moved into Worthing, bringing some of the energy with them. Many couples choose to move to Worthing to have a family as housing is cheaper and the schools are considered better. Pre-kids, we had a plan to move back to Brighton but I'm glad we didn't. We still love visiting Brighton for the day though and teen DD loves shopping there.

I too would love to live in Brighton. If I lived in Brighton I’d never moan again. It’s fantastic

Many things to consider. You get amazing family friendly places, mainly in Hove. You then get area I would scared to walk at night, like whitehawk. The difference in price between the two for the same property is massive.

Also I believe Brighton still operates on the basis you are not allocated schools based on your street or something like that.

Close to Brighton are many places that are also very expensive but have a very different feel to Brighton. If you love Brighton for its trendy busy feel, you won't get this in Worthing or Saltdean. You'll get it even less further away.

For £250k you won't get much at all if you want a garden anywhere in East or West Sussex unless you look at the more dodgy areas.

Southsea is a good shout £250k would get you a brilliant house. The seafront has just been re-vamped, it’s fabulous.

Family friends live sort of on the outskirts of Brighton, they rarely go into the city centre.

My husband’s cousin lives just north of Brighton. In the summer, they never go into the centre of Brighton because it is so busy with tourists.

Southsea is nowhere near Brighton or Worthing! (It's near Portsmouth).
Maybe you meant Southwick? -but it's not got a Brighton vibe at all, though you can get a train or bus into Brighton.

I wouldn't want to live anywhere that attracted the type of people who thought 'old' was a pejorative. Especially if they piously burnished their pro-trans credentials at the same time.

Born in Brighton, have lived in central Brighton, Hove, Hassocks, Shoreham, Worthing and Kemp Town so have a pretty good perspective I think. OP, realistically I think you'll find it hard to find anywhere big enough for a small family that also includes outside space in any of those places other than some parts of Worthing.

Worthing however has really changed in the last 10 years - the town centre has definitely declined (like pretty much every other town centre in the UK) but it is currently getting a facelift. There's a lot of investment going on at the moment. But other shopping streets (like Warwick Street) are thriving, with lots of indie shops and cafes. There are two great cinemas, one right on the seafront, two theatres that actually have stuff on (including live music) that you'd actually want to see. Lots of arty stuff too. If you go slightly further west to Goring and Ferring there are fabulous open green spaces right on the beach. The beachfront just east of Worthing pier has been done up in the past few years and has some nice cafes and ice cream shops. There are a few really nice restaurants and bars, including Perch on the Pier which has fantastic views.

If you head north from Worthing you'll be in the South Downs National Park pretty quickly - ok, it's not on a par with the Peak District or the Lakes, but it's still lovely, there are loads of great walks and villages like Findon, Storrington, West Chiltington for great Sunday pub roasts etc. Bigger historic nearby towns that are 'lookers' include Horsham, Chichester, Arundel and Petworth, all of which are super expensive to live in but lovely to visit. It's honestly a great part of the country to live in. The main downside is the traffic.

Agree with this. Grew up there and moved away but visit occasionally. There are seedier sides, always were tbh, including tented homeless groups along the seafront and around the Old Steine and addiction asb issues. But if you don’t mind the less attractive side of urban life and can live further out it is fine.

Oh apologies Isabella, I didn't read your context, for the point your were making, I think we are saying the same thing.

I lived in the area decades ago and I loved it and still love to visit it. I think I'd have been happy to stay there. I had to move for work and exh at the time. But I'm going back this summer and can't wait.

The nearby villages are lovely. It is very expensive though and there is definitely a seedy edge to it. But all areas have their problems.

Just do your homework.

How can sand be 'vulgar', how can nature be vulgar.

I would argue that the best of Brighton is not really seen by visitors as it's about the vibe rather than raw beauty.

yeah that ikea, sooooo dead !

I live just outside Brighton and work very centrally. It’s very expensive & the High Street is dead. Of course it’s quirky and being by the sea is lovely in the summer but I’m sure there are better places.

Brighton has never been a wholesome place so I'm unsure why people judge it to be lacking on that. Historically, it has always had some criminality associated with the the place or with people that aren't conformist and are perhaps on the edges of society. Graham Greene's novel Brighton Rock although fiction does portray the criminal landscape of the place with gangs like the Sabini gang ran protection rackets. It changed quite a bit late 90s early 00s when there were more DFLs buying up period properties as the culture of the place shifted and became gentrified in many pockets around the city. It is a bit like London in that respect village like areas around the city usually centred around schools so in North Brighton, Hove, seven dials etc. However, it has got one of the lowest number of births per 100000 now in the UK so many schools are closing as it is unaffordable for families and there are many more you g people in their 20s house sharing.