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!

P .S I work in retail & DH is a self employed Driving Instructor

We live on the south-coast within an hour of Brighton. Our town is fairly big but the beaches don't get that busy. We have a good balance that it's not too touristy but it isn't too run down - in my opinion, we have a great Borough Council who have not invested all their efforts into it just being a seaside town and this has made a big difference I think.

I have an NHS job that I love (non clinical) and can work from home most of the time.

We don't go to the beach as much as you would think although we did when the DCs were small.

I love the feeling of being near the sea - I love the sea air no matter the weather. I was born and raised here and I can't imagine not living near the sea.

Downsides - lots of traffic in the summer, only 1 road in and out of some parts of the area. Can't think of any others - I love it!

Rural coastal is different to near a city. I grew up rural coastal in north wales in a seaside town that had past it's best. That was a whole different kettle of fish to where I live now by the coast in the North East just outside Newcastle.
Commutable by metro, coastal towns having a huge regeneration at the moment and a lot of money spent.
My kids can go to a top UK university in Newcastle or Durham (or further afield of course, just trying to demonstrate what's here), 2.5 hour train to London, lots of culture and history in Newcastle itself.
I love raising my kids here but am aware it would be a very different prospect in my home town.

I live on the South Wales coast near a big city. I love where I live because we have so much within easy reach: the city, country parks and a variety of beaches.

But my life isn’t really different from anywhere else, I work in financial services and have all the amenities of being in a town plus the nearby city.

I think the difference is bigger from rural to city rather than coast to landlocked

I work in a professional role in a large hospital to add.
Ex husband works in london 2 days a week 3 days from home even before covid.
Yes there is less choice jobs wise that is true. You just have to decide whether you will be happy with that.

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.
Isn't it funny how we all see things differently. I live in the middle and I love that I can go off exploring anywhere, I have 360 degrees of freedom. If you live next to the sea then you are cut off in at least one direction (unless you have a boat!). Your mind may be free to wander/wonder but your body isn't.

I live on the South coast across the road from the beach. Absolutely love living here, kayak and stand up paddle boards for the DD's and always lots going on (historical/cultural/festivals etc). Yes can get busy (and has been mobbed during lockdown plus road closures) but overall lovely. I'm a Finance Director and based from home with EMEA travel....husband works 15 mins away at the moment.

I'm on north cornish coast. I live in a popular seaside resort area with 7 beaches in walking distance from my home. Some about 20min walk some 5mins.

I love it. I come from Manchester and moved for the surf. I have a child but still surf around 3 times a week, wild swim, skate, beach walks. There is varied wildlife and beautiful places around Cornwall such as moors forest and clifftop walks.
It's a truly amazing place to live.

Career wise it isnt for most high flyers. However we desperately need carers, NHS workers (need so many GPs), cleaners, council workers such as refuse workers and maintenance.

Truro and Falmouth are in commuting distance. Truro has normal jobs. Falmouth too as well as a student hubbub if you want to get into education at all.

The schools are oversubscribed. All of them. Many people in my friend group homeschool however and theres a very active large support network for that here.

There has been a mass movement here which has put a lot of pressure on our gps, schools and other services so consider the service levels you would be happy with.

House prices are immense. I'm trying to find a new rented home and it's taking ages as I'm lucky if theres 1 suitable house in a week and there is over 30 applicants to contend with for each.

Purchase prices I believe are driven up by the 2nd home and holiday homes so demand for remaining homes is very high.

North Cornwall/Devon boarder, 2 mins walk to beach. Go most days to the beach, all weather, even if just to sit and watch. DH and I both self employed and WFH, tourism and care. Low income compared to Mumsnet but fair ok compared to peers. Absolutely love it here and can’t imagine living elsewhere, for us it’s worth the income trade off. We live fairly simple lives but are happiest this way.

I live in Southend. I love it. Busy in Summer and a nightmare parking but we go down to sea just as the day trippers are leaving. Cheap houses, accessible to London, own airport and swimming in the sea four times last week. What's not to love. My teens are all water babies and have neoprenes and are the sea swimming from April to October.

I dont get bothered too much by tourists. I know the back routes to walk around town so I've not got to dodge crowds of slow walking people in the street 😅 I live just on the edge of my coastal town so as theres a hint of normality. Regular family neighbourhood for my son

@GinDaddyRedux, OP asked a question, why are you being so aggressive as to where the question is asked?

Ha! I just read the thread properly (didn't read any replies to OP before I posted) and I've just realised that my post is almost identical to @Thingsthatgo! Weird. And also nice to know that I'm not alone in the way that I feel.

We live about a 10 min drive from the nearest beach - we used to live a 15 min walk from the closest beach pre-kids but rarely went. Problem is that whenever the weather is nice they are so so busy that it’s unbearable, especially at the one that’s closest to us (Sandbanks).

We drive to one of the quieter chines very early in the morning on nice days and let the boys play, have breakfast then come home as it starts to fill up.

We both work from home but there are some big financial services companies here (banks, insurance etc).

@Orangecloth

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.

Sounds like Llandudno (or probably Rhyl )! I had a seagull swoop down and hit me from behind in an attempt to steal my burger there once.

I live a 5 minute walk from the beach, north east England on the coast near Newcastle.
I love it here, beautiful beaches on our doorstep and all the way up to rural Northumberland just up to 45 minutes drive away.
We have a vibrant town full of lovely bars and restaurants, easy access via metro to the city centre.
Within an hours drive we can be in the Lakes, North York moors or the Pennines.
I go to the beach everyday and my kids spend almost everyday on it during the summer holidays.
Schools are good here, my husband and I are both NHS, we have a good standard of living up here.

Does it matter if there’s another thread?

I live by the sea and love it. There is a pebbly beach within walking distance and a sandy beach 20 minutes drive away with lots of amenities. Where I am attracts walkers which is a bit of a pain all year round.

I am a teacher in a nearby city.

South Wales coast btw.

I live on the south coast between Brighton and Chichester.
I rarely go to the beach even though it is 5 minutes away from jumpy home.
I moved here just over 20 years ago and have bought my family up here. Lots to do with children and yet still has decent education options.
I am semi retired working part I’ve in retail but my son is in ict and the south coast is a hub for jobs in the computer industry. Plenty of carer options and his skill set is sought after. Wages are not as high as London but the neither is the cost of living and the quality of life is better(IMO and his)

GinDaddyRedux why do you have to be such a pompous dick all the time?
Instead of being a twat, maybe you could’ve properly directed the op to the other chat.

Wtf is a jumpy home😀 I think my iPad has a gremlin!!!

To add I am not really in a very tourist centred area but we do get day trippers and some tourists who want to do the south coast but not pay Brighton prices.

Sussex coast, smallish town with quiet beach, live right on the seafront. I think I must be weird as I'm really not keen on it - it's always really windy and bleak. Granted it's lovely to be able to get in the sea within a minute of leaving the house but that only happens a few hot days a year!
Nothing grows because of the salty wind which also damages the building. I'd rather live in an inland rural spot I think

I live on top on a cliff with a short walk down to the sea. We get very strong winds coming off the sea. I gave up having satelite dishes because they were forever being blown away. The winters are bleak, strong wind batters the house almost constantly. We have to get the roofer out every spring to fix the winter roof damage. We spend alot on house maintaince because of the wind damage. We also get power a lot of cuts in the winter because of storm damage.

Generally I don't got to the beach often. I prefer walking the hills. But I love little harbours and the boats. I like the smelling the sea. I love the local sea birds on the cliffs and the seals. We have lots of little beaches. Theres is a main one you are likely to see people on. But it's perfectly possible to spend a day on a beach by yourself on one of the smaller beaches.

Like a previous poster I don't live in a tourist area. The nearest town is very run down. There are few jobs and you have to do what you can and not be proud. The few tourists that do come here like the beautiful, wild landscape.

I live on the coast in South Wales. We are fairly rural in a village. I work as a research scientist at a university in a nearby city (25min on the bus).

Having moved from an in land life with an hour train into central London our quality of life is so much better but there are cons too.

The major pros, we can walk for miles. There are beaches and valleys to explore. The children are growing up fishing and surfing and rockpooling. Through lockdown I have been really grateful to be in nature’s classroom with the kids learning about rock formation plant and animal lifecycles. We have looked at the water cycle and river features, erosion, fossil formation etc.

Things that were important for me were not to be so rural we couldn’t walk to places. The children can walk to school, we have a village pub and shop etc.

The downsides are the busyness of tourists. Luckily we live somewhere where there are always hidden bays etc. However you always get someone who doesn’t want to pay for the National trust car park and blocks your drive.

We have to travel about 40 mins for big shops/supermarkets.

We have moved further away from lots of friends so meeting up takes more effort.

We are further away for theatre, concerts, art galleries etc.

The cows roam free and I’m still a bit scared of them.

You have to be quite hardy, I like being out in all weathers and feeling connected to nature, it is not all sunny living by the coast in the U.K.

For me living by the sea has been the best thing we’ve ever done and I pinch myself that we have pulled it off. But our lifestyle wouldn’t be for everyone and it depends where you want to be.

I used to live and work in Crosby, Liverpool. Many people don't even know there's a beach there! It's where the famous Anthony Gormley statues are, looking across to Ireland. I was less than 15 minutes walk from the beach and a short drive up the coast is Formby Dunes (more beach and nature reserve). It was also relatively cheap to buy my house (3 bed semi was £155,000 and would now be about £175,000). Lovely place.