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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Moving to Brighton?

33 replies

shueshue · 03/08/2017 18:02

Currently live in a tiny town near the Beds/ Herts border and feeling very uninspired. I am slightly alternative (have a creative job, am slightly obsessed with organic gardening) and don't fit in with the Tori crowd as friendly as everyone is, it's just not my 'tribe'.

I am wondering if it's worth taking 2 dc out of primary school and moving to Brighton for a slightly more easy going less stuck up (sort not wanting to be unkind) lifestyle. The dc's school is rated outstanding and both dc are quite happy there. But I feel like I am suffocating due to the lack of interesting things to do and frankly people around here are a little dull again sorry not wanting to be unkind.

What's Brighton like for family living? I know house pieces are climbing up there, which is a bit of a problem. DC1 is in year 4 and quite academic so grammar school system could possibly work for us.

Alternatively can anyone suggest any other easy going and nice places to live? DH and I commute to London but no more than three days a week.

My employer also has a largish office in Edinburgh and two of my oldest friends just moved there so I am wondering if that would nice too.

OP posts:

Camomila · 03/08/2017 18:11

I grew up in Brighton and would love to move back for all the reasons you list.
It's a bit too expensive for us so we'll probably move to one of the sussex commuter towns and just visit my parents in Brighton a lot.
Brighton isn't in the grammar school system but there are some very good secondary schools (although I think we have a weird lottery admissions system now!)
My DS is only a toddler so I don't know much about what there is for older children but for little ones it's great (parks, paddling pools, lots of activities etc)

ChelleDawg2020 · 03/08/2017 18:13

It's expensive but MUCH nicer than Bedfordshire. You will be surprised how pleasant people are, compared to the midlands. It's expensive, the parking is messed up and the council are completely fucking useless, but the place itself is great.

chronicleink · 03/08/2017 18:19

It's brilliant, vibrant, arty, tolerant, seasidey, people are mad in a good way. No grammar schools though, state schools are catchment areas and you need to live close by particularly with primaries. Does give it a great community feel though. Focus on school neighbourhoods first...

chronicleink · 03/08/2017 18:24

It's all very family orientated, even the month long arts festival in May kicks off with a 10,000 strong children's parade that the local schools take part in. Great parks, lots of kids focused events and activities, street parties, festivals you get the idea...

GeorgeHerbert · 03/08/2017 18:32

It's brilliant, I miss living there! Friendly, vibrant, alternative. Not sure about schools, think you need to be careful regarding secondaries although there are some very good ones. I'd move back tomorrow if I could make it work.

Original poster

shueshue · 03/08/2017 18:37

Should be difficult to get both dc into a good primary i'd imagine.

No grammar is even better but wouldn't have minded per se.

It all sounds brilliant, I have always liked the vibes in Brighton.

I suppose there are dozens of older threads with information about areas and schools but generally speaking, where might I need to look?

OP posts:

PestoSwimissimos · 03/08/2017 18:38

Come!!! It's the best ever place to live

Original poster

shueshue · 03/08/2017 18:40

You Brightonians sound like a friendly lot!

OP posts:

Custardo · 03/08/2017 18:43

orgnic gardening - Brighton is deffo your bag. its weird in a good way mostly

honeysucklejasmine · 03/08/2017 18:49

I think you might live where I just moved from OP! it's so expensive and so Tory!

shouldaknownbetter · 03/08/2017 18:54

I lived there pre kids and would move back in a heartbeat if I could. I'm not sure how good it is for families but as a single 20something I had a blast!

Palegreenstars · 03/08/2017 19:17

Brighton is great. Lots of stuff going on for families and politically if that's your thing.

The saltdean lido has just opened which is amazing for kids.

Hannover or Hove are the most popular areas. Hannover is very hilly but good primary!

Hangleton or Hollingbury are slightly further out (with good bus routes) but slightly less pricey.

Shoreham bout 15 minute on train and still by the sea. Seems to be where all the cool kids are moving now they can't afford Brighton main.

If you want cheaper but similar vibe Folkestone down the coast has an amazing art scene, great for kids ,grammar schools, 50 minutes to London ST Panc (so quicker than from Brighton). Politically probably more similar to where you are now but the influx of Londoners is changing things.

Kaybush · 03/08/2017 19:36

We moved down here in 2000 to start a family and have never regretted it. The best thing about it I think is that it's such a different mix of backgrounds and ethnicities that it's very tolerant and my children have grown up with a really open mind subsequently.

The best performing secondary schools are currently Blatchington Mill and Dorothy Stringer - on opposite sides of the town. Huge catchment areas too. Avoid Hove Park School! Outside Brighton, Shoreham is a lovely popular area and Shoreham Academy ranks highly I think.

Downsides are that Brighton was founded on hedonism and crime and that's never really left. There is a huge drugs scene that most teenagers will have to navigate - some fair better than others. There's also a large number of crime families - whenever an upmarket restaurant opens, it's usually colonised in a few months by gangsters. These things are worth putting up with though for the good bits!

Original poster

shueshue · 03/08/2017 19:54

"There is a huge drugs scene that most teenagers will have to navigate - some fair better than others" Is this because drugs are more socially acceptable on the whole, or is it a seaside town thing? This is one thing that would worry me tbh but then again there are so many great things to do so maybe teenagers will find other ways of finding fun.

"Folkestone .... Politically probably more similar to where you are now but the influx of Londoners is changing things."

This is what I am trying to get away from. A friend of mine lived in FS for a while but didn't cope, her dc are mixed race and it just didn't work for them sadly.

OP posts:

LloydColeandtheCoconuts · 03/08/2017 19:57

Watching thread with interest. We're thinking of moving there too

Cantspell2 · 03/08/2017 20:15

Housing is expensive, schools pretty much over subscribed, some of the nicer areas are pretty hilly. A couple of really bad areas you want to avoid (Moulsecoomb and whitehawk)traffic can be a nightmare. Heaving with people in the summer.
I now only go into Brighton if I need to do some serious shopping as Churchill square is great.

Palegreenstars · 03/08/2017 20:40

Oh that's horrible for your friend! Changing slowly I guess...

Brighton - definitely drugs are more socially acceptable than most places. Summers you are never to far away from the smell of pot and the town centre takes the opposite of a hardline approach

Elvisrocks · 03/08/2017 20:52

My good friend sounds similar to you OP. A few years ago she moved to Brighton with a young child. While she loved the vibe and political leanings of Brighton, she struggled with all the drug addicts and discarded needles etc in the area. She ended up leaving Brighton and moving to Bath and now absolutely loves it there.

SaucyJack · 03/08/2017 20:52

I don't think Brighton proper is a particularly family friendly place TBH. It's extortionately expensive, horribly overcrowded, and full of pretentious art students living off the Bank of Mum and Dad. And yes, there is a HUGE issue with public alcohol and drug consumption.

Hove and Shoreham are the current des res places for the ageing raver to bring up kids. Still both ridiculously expensive tho, plus all the beaches along that stretch of the coast are stony and full of psychotic seagulls that are second only to ISIS in terms of current terror threat level.

JagerPlease · 03/08/2017 21:23

We moved here to start a family and haven't regretted it for a second! Hanover is great, there's some fantastic schools here, loads to do (eg festival, pride community day, mermaid march), the lido, the beach....I can't imagine living anywhere else!

Original poster

shueshue · 03/08/2017 21:25

JagerPlease do you mean Hove?

OP posts:

LaurieFairyCake · 03/08/2017 21:26

Brightons lovely

But I have to ask, why don't you move to London since you work there?

Greenwich (where I live) is plenty artsy/family friendly/alternative - as are other parts

PestoSwimissimos · 03/08/2017 21:32

Hanover is a district within Brighton

See here

chronicleink · 04/08/2017 09:35

We live less than a mile from very centre sea front and I have to say I've not seen all this drug taking that's been mentioned, it was certainly worse in London when I lived there. There's loads for teenagers to do that's NOT about drugs, I'd rather live here than a village where the teenagers get bored and do god knows what where you can't see them!
Good neighbourhoods like Hanover, Seven Dials, Porthall don't have any issues .Kemptown is fun but less family friendly as it's lots of singles and couples, out towards Lewes road is all students and a bit rough aroud the ages... tons of good houses in Hove for families. As for primaries - all of the ones actually IN Brighton & Hove are very good. It's when you start going out towards Peacehaven or Hangleton that they're not so great. Balfour & Stanford are outstanding, West Hove, Brunswick, St Paul's all very good. Just bear in mind catchments for secondaries too.
Diverse? Yup with LGBT families, and nationalities, but much less so ethnically diverse than London.

Tinker10 · 15/07/2019 23:44

Hi, I know this is a really old thread now, but wondered if the original poster made the move??? if so, how did it go? Am in exactly the same position myself, living in Herts and wanting to move to Hove. Have ds in.year 4.so.need to find a.good.school. Would love to hear positive stories about these kind of big life changer.moves to reassure me that we're not totally insane to.follow a dream....

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