Opinionsn- Is Worthing a nice place to live?

[Settle59]

I've lived on the south coast and interesting in moving to a place that -unlike Brighton -isn't too expensive. I'd actually like to live in a place that's a bit 'Terry and June' . I visited a friend in the Goring area of Worthing about 10 yrs ago and loved the area.

sorry i realise I've AIBU to have made a very basic typing error in the thread title

Goring by Sea area yes, main Worthing no.

Goring is quite nice as in nice houses, pleasant, clean, good (pebbly) beach but fairly dull.

West Worthing is also reasonable with attractive housing (lots of Victorian/Edwardian semis, wide tree-lined streets). East Worthing is less attractive (more light industry, lots of 1930s housing) but is a bit cheaper.

It depends what you want really; if you are happy with a Terry and June vibe the Goring really could be for you!

Findon Valley is lovely

Ferring is lovely also. I'm originally from Brighton but moved to Lancing/Worthing area when we had DCs. I love it. But it's not Brighton.

We're hoping to move back at some point.

My friend lives in Goring and it’s nice. Big houses with nice gardens and a lovely stretch of beach. It is a bit dull though but it depends what you want

Worthing has completely changed in the last 5 years and has a really great vibe. I normally commute to London for which it’s too far really, but we are considering it now that post lockdown there may be more flexible job opps. There is an Ikea opening above Shoreham which will drastically impact drives to Brighton.

Lancing not so nice

Thanks for all your responses! I'm quite happy for 'Terry and June' suburban feel at this time!
After living in an extremely deprived area for a few years and experiencing some of the associated colourful 'dramas' that can arise in such an area I really appreciate an area that's affluent but where nothing much happens!
Shoreham also gives the impression of being predominantly affluent yet smaller - so that's another area to consider.

Yes it's lovely I moved down here 7 years ago and have lived in Goring and parts of Durrington - both nice (there are areas to avoid) east worthing is a bit run down and central/seafront Worthing is lovely for flats/views but for a suburban feel: Goring, ferring or findon valley/village are really nice

Shoreham is nice but surprisingly expensive. You would probably get more choice of housing and slightly better prices in Worthing.

Watch out if you are planning to commute into Brighton or anywhere else along the coast. The A27 is already very busy and as a pp has mentioned when the Lancing IKEA opens it will be even worse.

The A27 is already very busy and as a pp has mentioned when the Lancing IKEA opens it will be even worse

Maybe they will build that bypass?

Or maybe they won't.

The traffic near Worthing is a nightmare

You don't say how much you have to spend, but I would definitely recommend Shoreham by Sea. It is closer to Brighton than Worthing so a bit easier if you need to get to Brighton, and the commute to London isn't too bad. I did it for 6 years and have only just stopped. The area is nice - not as busy or quirky as Brighton but there are quite a few arty folk and the beach isn't too crowded. Fewer period properties available than Worthing but I think it has a nicer feel than Worthing.

Hi, I'm Worthing born and bred. I've now been living in Shoreham for almost 5 years and love it here.
But before moving here I lived in South Goring and loved it there too. Definitely want to be south of the railway though. It was so peaceful and I loved being close to the beach and sea lane cafe. Also a lovely walk along the prom to town. I'd happily live there again but Shoreham is great for us with children as so easy to get in to Brighton. I also love that we have so many lovely walks and bike rides close by, withing 10-20 mins walk of our house, we can be on the beach, river or the south Downs. It has such a community feel and is quite artsy, there are farmers markets, French markets, artisan cafes etc.

Cambionome - when I looked at rental prices in Shoreham I got the impression that it was expensive/exclusive and the type of place where there would not be social housing etc.

LilyRose88 - thanks - yes tbh I've never been one for period properties. I think in themselves they can be very nice - period fireplaces etc but imo you need time and money to invest in them as potentially there's more that can go wrong in them!

Casablanca78 - thanks for your insights - from your description Shoreham sounds idyllic! I knew it was an affluent town but didn't realise it also had an artsy community

Op - Shoreham does have social housing but it's mainly on the east side of town. West/north sides tend to have the nicer housing, plus some nice flats near the river.

Might also be worth having a look at Shoreham Beach.

Central Worthing has some nice houses are you are close to the sea. Try Poulters lane which is quite posh. We went to visit friends and saw 2 new houses for sale which were under 500k.

I can comment well having lived all over London and Brighton too. Can confirm Worthing is a great place if you want:
-A lovely quiet beach
-Beautiful countryside and walking nearby
-Friendly safe community, quite diverse and queer friendly
-Very good cafes restaurants pubs and bars (both traditional and also natural wines bars and small plates etc, craft breweries for Brighton vibes)
-Good schools
-Leafy parks
-Decent town centre with walkable shops
-Three train stations(!) and an easy enough commute straight to Victoria/East Croydon/Clapham, and Brighton of course
-Decent parking (especially compared to Brighton)
-And affordable homes! I bought my three bedroom house in a good area for only 30k more than my one bedroom flat in Brighton-For us it's been a no brainer and we love it, we're in our 30s and lots of our friends are following suit.
-Best areas: Check it out in person. Personally we're near the station on a leafy nice street, Tarring (West) is also desirable. But the best way to ascertain is to go and walk around.