East Sussex

[JBxxx]

Hi everyone.

Apologies if you've seen this already. I wasn't sure which topic to pop it under.

Considering moving to East Sussex next year. Possibly Hastings area but open to suggestions. Ideally countryside, village or market town but not too far from the sea. We're a mixed race family, white/Caribbean. So diversity is important.

Probably sounds silly but I was drawn to Hastings because they hold a few reggae events.

We love London so needs to be reasonably easy to get to by train. Also go abroad often so not crazy far from an airport.

Any advice appreciated.

Thanks
Jx

Hastings isn't as diverse as London or Brighton but I'd say more diverse than Eastbourne or Bexhill. Hastings town centre is pretty run down at the moment. Unfortunately, like lots of seaside towns, there's poverty but St Leonards and the Old Town are nice and there's lots of festivals and music events.

Tunbridge Wells and Lewes are more affulent but have a bit of a rep for being a bit la de da.

Wouldn’t go anywhere near Hastings.

I live in Eastbourne and love it. It’s much more vibrant and interesting than Hastings in my opinion. Not as diverse as where I lived in Crawley but still has diversity I think.

Hi, thanks for your comment. Could you add any info? Why not? Or where would you recommend? Thanks.

I grew up not that far from Hastings & we used to go there on day trips. As pp said the high st is quite rundown but the old town is nice. It’s not as close to London as somewhere like Folkestone (might also be worth checking that out) but I think a lot of ex Londoners move to these coastal areas in Kent & Sussex which means more diversity. Have you spent much time there OP?

Hi, thanks! Ok I'll look into that, Kent is an option. I've spent a lot of time in Brighton as I had family there growing up. Considered moving down several times but never made it. I'm thinking slightly away from the coast but still easy to get to the beach regularly. So it doesn't need to be a seaside town. Love the old/unspoilt places but really do need it to be diverse. I love the vibe of Brixton for example. I'm probably looking for somewhere that doesn't exist. Either that or I just need to move to the Caribbean 🙈😂

Hi, we're a mixed race family and recently moved to Brighton. I work for East Sussex and travel all around county. Unfortunately Hastings is really lacking in a lot of things and cultural diversity is one of them. It's run down, the schools aren't great and there's quite a bit of deprivation. However, there is a growing arts scene including a gallery and a theatre space. A friend told me of an art installation that is currently on that celebrates voices of others. That being said nothing would make me move there.
We moved from London Brighton 5 years ago and are still getting used to not seeing many black/brown faces.
There really is no other place I would recommend in East Sussex if I'm honest. Working with families in east Sussex I've seen there is way too much casual racism even Brighton still has a way to go.
Sorry I have nothing more positive to say.
East Sussex is very picturesque in many parts though.
Happy for you to DM if you wish. Good luck ☺️

If you love the country side then look at uckfield.. 30 mins to the Sea.. Buxted, Hadlow Down, Blackboys, East Hoathly .. unbelievable beautiful..and if you really need to go to London then it's 50 mins

Hi, thank you for being so honest. I'll definitely DM you ☺️

Battle?

Hastings/ St Leonard’s is very deprived. Passing through and haven’t seen any signs of up and coming and I’ve seen it in good summer weather. Steer clear!

Hastings is a bit of a shitehole tbh. Shame as it could be fantastic.

Thought about looking Folkestone/Deal/Margate?

We moved from Hastings over 20 years ago,it wasn’t great then but now much worse.The old town is possible but overall I would stay clear of the whole area especially with children.Spend a few days there and really look.