Tell me about Portslade!

[Rollinginthemud]

Any mumsnetters there? We are moving from Brighton for a bigger house and garden for the kids and dog and seems really nice and friendly. Hoping to be around the Benfield Way area. Would love to hear any good or bad things or areas to avoid! Parks seem lovely, not sure if there are nice coffee shops or baby groups? Any advice much appreciated! Recently lost my husband and this is a fresh start for us and the right one (we can't afford where we are now) but feeling all the anxieties right now and hoping we will still be welcomed and enjoy Portslade as it seems a good fit for us! Thanks in advance.

My grandma used to live just on the Hove side of Boundary Road. Hove Lagoon is very walkable. Crab fishing at the dock between Southwick and Portslade was always fun too.

You can probably tell from my username, I signed up to reply to your post!

I’m sorry to hear the reason for your move.

I lived in Portslade for 14 years (having lived in various different bits of Brighton before that), and have only recently moved away. I only moved away for work and it was a big wrench.
I found Portslade to be friendly and quiet. The children’s centres and libraries have groups as do many churches. Being on the main bus route / near the station gives access to the rest of Brighton and all that that offers. I went to baby groups across the city as the bus route is good, but you wouldn’t have to. Coffee shops are harder to come by but if you were in the benfield area you would have access to Boundary Road which has some independent coffee shops, and the cafe at Emmaus does nice cake! There are some lovely parks (Easthill Park notably), and the beach isn’t far!

You will get more for your money in Portslade, and it feels considerably more spacious and less crammed together than Hove.

I personally would say go for it! If I was still there I’d have offered to show you round (now I miss it even more!)

Good luck with your move

I made the exact same move late last year, for the same reasons! Definitely don't regret it, you get so much more for your money. No, there isn't as much on your doorstep as Brighton. But the buses are regular, trains as well. Boundary road has a decent selection of shops and cafes, you have a better supermarket (massive Sainsbury's) and there's the library and children's centre down the road

Thank you so much everyone! And yes, Easthill park is truly lovely, years ago we did a forest school group there and there were ponies in the field next to it. I hope it has a similar vibe to Brighton as is so close and seems lovely and friendly with plenty nearby. Thanks again!

Hi! I hope you are well; just wondered if you made the move and how it's going! Single parent here too. 😊