To ask what life is like at the coast?

[Peasbewithyou]

Posting in AIBU for traffic.

If you live by the sea, do you like it and what job do you do? (And do you like that?). If you can tell me where (ish) you are that would be helpful too!

We currently live in a pretty landlocked part of the British Isles but I have always wanted to live by the sea. Lockdown has made me really think about priorities and our lives and I am now considering making some big changes. Why the hell have I never lived by the sea if it’s something I have always wanted to do!? It’s not like we don’t have much coastline in this country! DH is in an industry where he can probably work remotely but is looking for a new job anyway. I feel like I need a new career after being a SAHM for a couple of years and not really being sure I want to go back to my old industry. So just trying to figure out what it’s like away from the London / South East bubble, by the coast!

Good question.

I live a five minute walk from the beach. I don’t go there often and if we do go then I drive to one of the quieter beaches.

Just to add:

We have 3 small children aged under 8.

I am looking for pros and cons really and interested to know what careers people have to understand the feasibility / inspire me to find something new!

Surely that depends on which coast? My (remote, Highland) coastal life is very different to friends who live in Aberdeen for example.

Up north. DS is nearly 2. It’s incredible. Come rain or shine we are on it and it’s ever changing scenery. I love it

I live on the coast, and I really love it. I don’t go in or on the sea all that much, but I walk and run by it, and sit and look at it! We have a beach hut, which has been an absolute godsend over lockdown.
For me, the most important thing about it is that it gives me the sense of being near the edge of the land, rather than in the middle (I used to live in the middle, and I felt strangely claustrophobic). Maybe it’s a sense of freedom.

I realise it will be different in different locations but happy to hear about all experiences!

I know the South West of England quite well and love it there but not sure if a move would be feasible. Also there might be other places / factors we haven’t considered!

We live on the south coast (Hampshire) and moved here 2 years ago from a landlocked area as it's somewhere we always wanted to live. Wouldn't move back now, it's beautiful all year round, although busier in the summer with tourists! We're 2 miles from the sea. It can be a little cooler here in the summer than further inland but there are so many more pros. Winter is milder. I'm just an admin bod so finding work isn't an issue for me. I thank my lucky stars every day that we live here. Do it!

We live by the seaside. 5 minutes walk to the local beach I love it in winter but summer it’s over run by tourists. If the weather is good it’s packed so we avoid it then.

DH and I both commute to near by cities for work (I’m current on maternity)

I love being by the sea. I think it’s that sense of freedom you talk about @Thingsthatgo! Somehow it makes everything feel like it’s going to be ok.

There are potentially other areas of the Talk board you haven't factored/considered as well.

I live by the coast but chose a part with no attractions. It still gets busier in the summer but not to the extent of the local built up beaches. Like most things when it’s on your doorstep it can be quite easy to not use it. We love it just for the walks, the sea breeze and the noise of the sea.

@GinDaddyRedux

There are potentially other areas of the Talk board you haven't factored/considered as well.

Yes but they don’t get much traffic

Used to live on the coast. Very touristy area. You can’t ever eat outside because of seagulls. They will literally steal food out your hands so no picnics etc unless you go inland/away from tourist area.
Also your washing on the line and your car will constantly be covered in birdshit.
The admin job I had paid £15k a year. When I moved away from the area and into a town and did the same job I got £28k a year.
Generally no industry apart from tourism So nothing to aspire to and most young people get into drinking and smoking weed early as there’s nothing else around really. Anyone who was clever/ambitious in school left for uni at 18 and just never came back.
Just my experience but I certainly wouldn’t live by the coast with my children.

There is another thread called something like 'if you live by the sea in the UK'... currently trending. It has quite a lot of replies. Sorry, can't link...

I live by the sea. I have lived here all my life and can not imagine what it’s like to live somewhere landlocked. We have a creek at the bottom of our village which is lovely in the summer, there is a small quaint coastal town 5 miles down which has beach huts and a lovely small, safe beach which is a big attraction for local families. We are also a very short drive away from several beach locations. I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else and thoroughly recommend it.

It's on the Chat board.

I live in Plymouth. It has a lot of poverty and people are really rude about it but I love it here. I can walk to the Hoe from my house and see fabulous views of Dartmoor behind, South Hams to the East and Cornwall to the West. There are two Lidos, one is free. You can swim but not many people do (wild swimmers and teens mainly). Lovely beaches close by. I love being by the sea, different view every day. I work at the large teaching hospital in the city.

I live in an extremely unglamourous port town but I still love living by the sea. If i go for a walk it is always along the coast somewhere.

The cons are that a lot of seaside towns are quite rundown. This isn't a tourist town and a lot of the shops are shut, the tourist towns are dead in the winter. Great if you like peace and quiet, not great if you rely on tourism for work.

South Coast and retired now. Lived this area virtually all my life. About 15 mins from three local beaches and we are not really a big tourist area. I am 2 minutes from sea as I live near a tidal waterway and can see it from my front garden. Wouldn't live anywhere else although can be quite windy at times.

@Lightsabre

Yep I know the thread. 90 replies and counting, was only started on Sunday, and it's in the right place on the Talk board.

But maybe that's not enough attention traffic for the OP?

I have lived by the coast in the north west and the south west.

In both cases - the air feels more “alive” to me somehow, it’s more refreshing, and you can always go look at the sea - even in winter you can have great walks.

However - it is a lot colder and windier in winter than you’d expect if you only go there in nice weather. My skin was always dry, my hands and lips would crack open and bleed because of the cold and the wind.

So don’t move there until you’ve done a 2 week holiday there over the winter.

In terms of jobs - neither area had a lot of tourists, people did the same sort of jobs they do everywhere!

I live on the East Kent coast and have done since I was about 8 when we moved down from Central London in the 80s.

I'm so used to it, therefore, and it's so completely normal that it's hard to put my finger on why I like it. I think it might be because you are close to the 'edge' of something, if that makes sense, so you always have the feel of space to breath. I think I'd feel a bit claustrophobic somehow if I didn't have that 'being on the edge of breathing space' feeling.

It's really great, actually. I'm so pleased I live here.

I live in Mid Cornwall, with nice beaches 5 minutes drive away, and surfing beaches about 30 mins. It is absolutely beautiful but does get very busy in high season.I do find cultural stuff lacking here eg concerts, theatre etc but that sort of thing is here if you don’t mind travelling a bit & there are some very good local companies springing up. DD11 is totally unsporty but she’s a different kid in the sea. She’s tried surfing, loves bodyboarding & we’re hoping to get her into snorkelling too which I love. Then there’s sailing, kayaking, paddle boarding etc etc. Also horse riding & some great cycle trails. I would definitely move to the coast with your children the age they are

I live in the New Forest. Used to live Southampton side, now nearer Bournemouth and slightly further from the sea (20 min drive instead 10mins).

I rarely go to the swathes of white sand you see on Bournemouth beach when the weather is good because there are just SO many tourists and traffic is awful!

The Southampton side also has plenty of coast and we used to go there much more because even though it was less pretty, it was SO much easier to access than fighting through the tourists.

We also have easy access to Jurassic coast and love heading down there in the spring and autumn when it’s less full. Best thing for us for beaches is that the coast line along the New Forest is a well kept secret so we can head here if we want a day out by the sea in summer- Lymington, Barton etc.

We have a few beautiful coastal restaurants also and I LOVE being able to go for dinner and sit watching the sun go down!

Although it’s a touristy area, work opportunities are actually very good in Southampton/Bournemouth. We both have good, well paying jobs that afford us the cost of living in a premium area and as a teen/student I was never out of work as a waitress/receptionist in the many hotels/restaurants.