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Original poster

Is Brighton a good place to start again?…

100 replies

Rossetti47 · 18/08/2021 18:30

Hey all, I am desperate for some advice. I am sitting in my half empty house which my ex-partner left today. I am 💔. We had our problems but I never thought we’d split up. My house sale completes next week and then I have no ties to anywhere at all. I have some good friends locally but they’re all married and busy. The area I live in now is a very conservative commuter town with little going on. I am financially secure but I’ll definitely need to score a job whilst I’m training to be a counsellor to cover day to day expenses. Do I have a delusional view of Brighton, thinking that it’d be a great place to meet people and get a job? I think it’d be ace to train there, but I’m in such a start of turmoil I’ve lost my inner guide! Thanks :)

OP posts:

SingingInTheShithouse · 18/08/2021 18:50

It's very expensive, & the london commute is an expensive, unreliable slog, but that lot isn't an issue or you, it's a wonderful place to live with lots going on & a great community feel in many parts of the city

Original poster

Rossetti47 · 18/08/2021 19:03

Your username is ace! Thanks for your reply. I wouldn’t be commuting to London but I’d like to go up to galleries and caper. It is definitely staggeringly expensive and I’m wondering if I can live without a car… (parking a nightmare). I just wonder if at this grand old age (52) I’m being delusional.

OP posts:

HelenHywater · 18/08/2021 19:06

I don't think jobs are easy to come by in Brighton. It depends what you do.

otoh I know lots of people who have trained to be counsellors in Brighton.

And also, do you know it well? Many people don't think it's a lovely place to live - it's expensive, has a very definite seedy side. There's also quite a lot of poverty. (you might not be able to afford to live in the nicer parts) .

Kate3150 · 18/08/2021 19:08

@Rossetti47- IMO you don’t need a car in Brighton. There is an absolutely fantastic bus service that will take you all around the city and beyond.
It’s a fab place, a place I’d describe as having a heartbeat.
Would you like to live centrally? There’s some cheaper places to live on the outskirts. You can be in central Brighton within 15/20mins on the bus x

Original poster

Rossetti47 · 18/08/2021 19:13

Thanks for this @HelenHywater I’m nothing tremendously exciting, background in publishing/admin. I don’t know it well at all. My budget is 600k for a 2 bed flat.
@Kate3150 a heartbeat is good! It’s kind of flatlining where I live now. Everyone I’ve spoken to IRL thinks I should stay put, but I can’t see how I could make a life here.

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CatherineCawood · 18/08/2021 19:15

I second that you don't really need a car. Lots of people slate it, and it is expensive. However, it is a great place to live. You'll meet loads of crazy people! Anything goes and it is relaxed. I love it.

Hoolihan · 18/08/2021 19:17

I think it would suit you well, good place to do your training and lots of social stuff going on, groups to join etc. It's really lively. Would just be careful when picking an area as some of it is quite grotty as mentioned above. Look at Hove too which is nicer than Brighton imo - more space, quieter but still lots to do and see.

Original poster

Rossetti47 · 18/08/2021 19:22

Thanks guys : )

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TiddlesUpATree · 18/08/2021 19:26

Echo what the others said. It's a lovely place with tonnes going on. I moved there 20 years ago on my own, not knowing anyone. Best thing I ever did. Good luck.

Original poster

Rossetti47 · 18/08/2021 19:27

@TiddlesUpATree this gives me hope! Thanks

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squee123 · 18/08/2021 19:33

If you don't have ties to the south east then personally I would go elsewhere. Brighton is very expensive, in the north you could get a much nicer house with change to spare. I don't know the North well enough to recommend specific places, but I'm sure others can.

Original poster

Rossetti47 · 18/08/2021 19:37

Thanks @squee123. I like galleries and museums which London has in abundance! I do love Manchester tho.

OP posts:

Twothirtyam · 18/08/2021 19:42

For 600k you can defo get a great two bedroomed flat! I absolutely love it here (although live more Hove than Brighton) it’s got everything I think. The people are lovely and it has a real identity of its own. Do it!

HandforthParishCouncilClerk · 18/08/2021 19:46

You can get a 4 bedroom house in Brighton for £600k! And you don’t need to drive. It’s great - request to join Brighton Girl on Facebook, it’s a very inclusive group and a good way to get the lowdown on the city.

HandforthParishCouncilClerk · 18/08/2021 19:47

Brighton has galleries and museums by the way….

UnitedRoad · 18/08/2021 19:48

Totally nowhere near Brighton but my daughters just moved to Leeds and it seems to be another place with a heartbeat. I’m really envious (stuck in a conservative, dull as dishwater dormitory town). Public transport seems to be good, there’s masses going on, and it just seems so alive.

I really admire you for starting again.

UnitedRoad · 18/08/2021 19:49

Actually I’m not sure if it’s dull as ditchwater or dishwater, but both are grey and boring, so take your pick

Original poster

Rossetti47 · 18/08/2021 19:56

@Twothirtyam All of the places I like the look of are in Hove :) I did see a gorgeous place in Kemptown but it’s just too far from station.
@HandforthParishCouncilClerk Thank you! I will deffo check out that group.
@UnitedRoad oddly I love Leeds! But the lure of the sea is strong. And thanks for your kind words, but if I’m honest it’s a change that’s been forced on me. Im sure for the best, but it bloody hurts.

OP posts:

Atalune · 18/08/2021 20:01

There IS a lot of poverty and homelessness and the lanes is fun and has a huge vibrant scene. So as a singleton I think it would be a great base.

But it is quite a dirty city IMO, and has something of a run down seaside vibe.

muffindays · 18/08/2021 20:01

i'm on the other side of the fence OP, been here 20 years and desperate to leave! do you have children? If so I would be a bit wary, it's busy (traffic / noise) and i have found it harder to find my real community here, as a parent - it's more geared towards nightlife etc. As a person in my 20s/30s though without kids I loved it, although it is very big on boozing and drug taking which depending on your own mental health state is not always the healthiest. If you can deal with that then you might be fine. It feels a bit like peter pan land to me - the land that people don't grow up - which may or may not be to your preference...

Atalune · 18/08/2021 20:02

I have only visited. Not lived there.

Original poster

Rossetti47 · 18/08/2021 20:07

@muffindays this is useful intel! I’m deffo not a space cadet! Where would you head if you could leave tomorrow? I don’t have children

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Libertynan · 18/08/2021 20:07

I think it would be a great city to make lots of friends. My friend moved down there 30 years ago so I've visited quite often. She has a ton of friends - most of whom are not born and bred in Brighton - it seems to be where people move to from other towns. There are loads of things to do, clubs, groups etc. You would have no trouble settling in.

It does have a gritty side - there are a LOT of homeless people, drugs etc. I find it quite expensive too. But it is lively - never dull.

Original poster

Rossetti47 · 18/08/2021 20:08

@Atalune the poverty does trouble me, and all those poor broken souls who look permanently whacked

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Original poster

Rossetti47 · 18/08/2021 20:12

@Libertynan thanks for this. It’s the lots to do that appeals to me.

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