I would like to live in Brighton and Hove

Si @Basquervill when was Brighton lovely?

also I love pebbles and think sand is vulgar,

No, I don’t mind where Londoners live. I don’t think what I said is rubbish. It is my experience.

Portslade is bleak imo. I would recommend looking east of the pier. Brighton is an amazing place to live

What a load of old rubbish or are you trying to keep the Londoners out?

Brighton is amazing. The shops, bars, restaurants, pavilion, beach and schools are really good. As an Brightonian I can assure you it is much nicer than in the 70s or 80s. Yeah it is not some plastic place.

look at shoreham, have friends there and they love it ----

Worthing is much ‘younger’ than it used to be. I grew up nearby and it was called ‘God’s Waiting Room’. But now a lot of those people have left the waiting room and their homes have been been bought by younger people who can’t afford to live in Brighton or London.

I moved to Worthing 20 years ago and absolutely love it. Plenty of young people and families here. The town centre is a bit depressing- Poundland and vape shops and empty units- but that’s the same in a lot of towns. We’re a short distance from Brighton and Chichester for those who want decent shops. Our beaches are nicer than Brighton’s 🙂

Ok I get this but why are people willing to pay so much to live there if it’s so rough? I don’t get it.

Because it's not rough, it's a lovely place to live! Yes, there are some small areas of Brighton where you might not want to walk on your own at 2am but that applies to ALL places in the UK.

If Brighton really was a shithole then noone would be paying almost London prices to live here 😆

My daughter is a police officer in Brighton. Crime levels are very high including violent crime and sexual assault. The drug problem fuels a large percentage of the crime and the homelessness is definitely a big issue. I would not choose to bring a family up in the city.

I have lived in Hove, but that was 20 years ago and it felt safe. However, parking even then, was horrendous, so you will need somewhere with its own parking.

I lived in Brighton for years and like other posters, never found it unsafe or rough. Would walk home after a night out etc without a second thought.

One thing I appreciate having moved away (to the south west) is access to countryside.
Brighton is pretty bleak when it comes to getting out of the city to nature. The south downs just aren't that interesting and that's pretty much all there is!

I don't know what the jobs market is like there at the moment and in different fields but be careful of that... Your nearest big city is London and that is one hell of an expensive commute on top of your London house prices!

I know a couple who live in Brighton and love it but they are rich so can afford a massive house in a lovely area, eat out a lot and go to all the festival events. They also travel a lot so don't actually live there for at least half the year. There wouldn't be much point in scraping by to get a small flat on the outskirts if you want a garden and to be able to afford a nice life. I find it grungy and very crowded in the summer. I'm not a shopper though so when I see them we go out to the Downs and go for a walk which is lovely. For me it's like London - lovely to visit but I'm very happy to leave.

We have friends in Portslade and Worthing and fringes of Brighton and like all those areas personally.

I grew up in Yorkshire and wouldn’t live there again if you paid me. It’s all personal though.

It’s great place to live, I am sat in the sun enjoying a latte with my kids & friends here now, having moved 10years ago. Very friendly & cosmopolitan, teens love going to the beach after school, loads to do. Hangleton is developing & more affordable for families if poss, with great schools. Portslade is more in your budget though depending on your needs- look at South Portslade if you can. Ppl often suggest Worthing, Shoreham, hassocks etc (I do like all), but in my experience folk who want the Brighton vibe, but move for affordability, don’t quite find that in neighbouring towns. If you live in catchment consider secondary schools too as there are some very popular ones that get over subscribed. Catchment rules have changed this year so worth looking into how it all works with family in mind. Good luck! Dm me if you like. I have tween/ teen dc but moved when they were small.

OP it’s impossible to really advise whether it’s right for you as depends what your priorities are. Coast, shops, schools, public transport, things going on that aren’t an hours drive away in traffic etc. Or something else?

Our priorities have become living somewhere people aren’t Islamophobic/racist/xenophobic/ think anyone claiming benefits is a scrounger etc. Also somewhere people don’t stay in their little bubbles of ‘nice’ housing developments and ‘nice’ schools, driving between the two, avoiding anyone they deem not ‘nice’.

Thats cut the list down a lot.

I live in Hove and to be honest, I wouldn’t live anywhere other than Brighton and Hove- it really is a wonderful place

Same. I love living here, was born here, grew up here and brought up my kids here.

I have never felt unsafe at all (and I used to go clubbing and walk home alone) and we regularly go out into town as a family in the evenings or down by the beach. My kids are now teenagers and love living here too.

The only downside is that it is expensive to live here.

Also as a local I would say, locals avoid Brighton in the summer. The beaches are absolutely rammed on warm days and we were always looking for alternative beaches (like Saltdean!). And there are thousands of English language students in the summer who go around in huge groups which makes town awkward to wander round. I'd definitely say live locally but not IN Brighton - cheaper housing, close enough to go in for shows, galleries, events etc.

I prefer the beach at Worthing. It used to feel like a retirement place and there are lots of retirement homes there, but there are also lots of younger people there. Beautiful countryside nearby.

We live in Brighton. It has always felt like an oasis cut off from the rest of the UK, in that so many people weren't born in the city. Perhaps like Totnes in Devon, but bigger. It gives the city it's bohemian feel, if you like.

I find people in general friendly, but don't judge Brighton and Hove by the city centre area. When you move away from there it feels much different.

I would imagine that other seaside towns have a different vibe because more locals were born in that town.

I read that Worthing has had a large number of Londoners moving into it over the last few years, so maybe it will become more like Brighton soon.

The appeal of Brighton beach is a mystery to me. So many lovely sandy beaches on the south coast and people flock to Brighton. Whilst I don’t like Brighton at all I can see the appeal of the town to some people but the beach is hideous.

You'll be old one day. If you're lucky.

I'm from Hove, moved to Brighton as an adult, moved out a few years ago to have kids as it was too expensive.

Worthing did have a reputation as being for older people (my grandparents moved there from central Brighton when I was a kid!) but it has really changed now. I'd say central Worthing is a good option and still close to Brighton.

Generally families are being priced out of Brighton, primary schools are closing or shrinking because of fewer children in the area. So I'd think very carefully about it. You could also look at Saltdean, which is more of a suburb, but right on the coast and just a short bus to the city so easy to go in for shows and events etc.

I really think you're looking at Brighton through rose tinted glasses. Yes, The Lanes is lovely but outside of that, Brighton is awful. So scruffy and overrun with stag/hen parties. The Lanes is lovely for a day's holiday/visit but you'll avoid it once you live there because of the tourists. Then you're just left with a rundown, really scruffy town centre that you would not want to bring your kids up in. I wouldn't live there if it was cheap let alone the extortionate prices they have down there. (I have family there and so go a lot. I had the same impression as you the first time. But once you've done The Lanes, you start to open your eyes to the rest).

Agree with others that Worthing is a better bet but, again, the town centre is awful.

Stick to the midlands, you can live in a palace there compared to the pokey house you'd end up in around Brighton and you'd have a considerably better lifestyle for both you and the kid/s.