To ask is there a better version of Brighton

[Wondergirl100]

Sorry a bit cheeky to put on AIBU - but - it's an important question!!

Brighton - great vibes, creativity, open mindedness good schools - but overpriced and the countryside isn't amazing and there are no gardens.

So what is the alternative! Where else is open minded and fun and has sea air and countryside but is not ruined by hen dos and property prices. And needs to have good schools.

Sadly, I have to write off the whole of Kent as I don't approve of grammar system. Unless there is somewhere in Kent with good secondary moderns.

@Erkrie

have no idea. I feel as if a lot of this thread is going a long way over my head. I think I'll grab my donkey and let myself out

They have donkeys in Brighton I believe.

Bristol or Exeter might suit you (they're not the cheapest of places to buy property but by south east standards they're still a bargain). Both have a good quality of life, lots going on (in non-pandemic times, though Exeter is a little more rural than Bristol), lots of independent schools, easy access to lovely coast (including actual beaches with sand, not pebbles), and countryside.

"Lancaster ticks all your boxes.
Plenty of canals and river walks, stunning countryside and more grammar schools than you can shake a furry stick at
I don't think op wants grammar schools. Its why they ruled out Kent"

And it hardly has "more grammar schools than you can shake a furry stick at" . It has one boys grammar and one girls grammar.

Tynemouth.

I’m near Dover, the actual main bit and high street itself is an absolute dump. The surrounding villages are quite possibly some of the most beautiful places ever. I absolutely love it and is very near to bigger places such as Canterbury with some having very easy access to Thanet also. Deal is lovely and has quite a buzz for a seaside town, as is Sandwich. Then surrounding villages such as Nonington, Whitfield, Eythorne, Adisham, Aylesham, Snowdon, Bridge etc etc are in lovely countryside and imo aren’t too posh and grammar school orientated.

Christchurch, Dorset

I still dream about my little house in Saltdean. It's the happiest place I've ever lived in terms of quality of life connected with immediate environment. Peaceful, walks on the downs close by, tidy beach, local shops, cycle paths into town, etc. Fertile soil. Sunny microclimate.

Bristol (IMHO) is the best place in Europe for live music, but that might be wasted if you have kids and can't spend the whole weekend partying!

Well this is weird, two threads next to each other about the Valleys where I grew up & Brighton where I live now. Cannot imagine why you think Brighton has good schools.

@FuzzyPuffling

OP "not Kent. I've discounted the whole of Kent. What's Tunbridge Wells like?".

Hmmm.....

I live near Brighton, between there and worthing there are many little lovely village types on the sea....
However, I'm from Devon and I miss the wild like you wouldn't believe so think your husband might suffer!
I like where we live but can't say I would wholly recommend it either. I don't like Hove at all.

When you say open minded do you mean
a) left wing
b) easy to be openly gay
c) Be multicultural and less racist
d) be open to everyone
D is hard hard to think of except Bristol or the big metropolises (London, Manchester,Birmingham)
Hebden and Brighton are both surprisingly white.
@AnyFucker Morecambe is fucking amazing. I'll here nothing said against it . one of the last time I went was to a gay wedding of a recently retired Anglican priest and most the congregation (mainly ladies over the age of 70) turned up to send him on his merry way!

I like York

I love York but you can’t compare it to Brighton. Bath maybe but not Brighton.

Just go the whole hog and move to Oswaldtwistle

Is eastbourne lively???

Don't move to Eastbourne, seriously.

If your husband is dead set on more exciting scenery, why not somewhere in Scotland then? Unless he also prefers his weather not freezing and raining all the time, but honestly if we need to find you somewhere in the UK not surburban but also with a big garden, by the sea but also dramatic wild scenery, fun and open-minded but cheap then I think we're on a search for a unicorn.

Pretty much all of my gay friends have moved out of Brighton in their 30s to ....... Peacehaven! And everyone with families went north to Hayward’s Heath. I lived in three house shares in Brighton, had so much fun but I was always struck that despite claiming to be open minded, most people who described themselves as such were closed minded to my standard straight female, lower middle class, guardian reading, left wing, gay friendly, pro choice public sector politics. I always found that odd. Voting once for Jeremy Corbyn and the rest for Caroline Lucas was not radical enough!

Really, a place is what you make it.

I know they are super super expensive but what about Oxford or Cambridge? I don’t think you’re going to find a liberal city, with fab schools, close to London, with wild countryside that’s not too suburban that has affordable houses with gardens.

Hanover (Brighton) houses are tiny, small gardens, and there was always litter, sick, dog poo and seagull crap everywhere. Noisy pubs too. Good luck OP!

How about Margate? Gorgeous new art gallery, very indie and a bit scruffy and arty. No idea about schools, though.

Near the beach

comes with 1.5 acres of woodland!

Both around £500k. Might move there myself!

@Botherfreedays

I love the way anywhere outside London is at risk of being ' not open minded'. I know the BBC have fed the public a diet of Midsomer Murders and Doc Martin depicting anyone who doesn't live in a city as a superstitious, neurotic, half-wit but come on, there is normal life and most of us function quite well outside of the capital

I live in Cornwall and I think Doc Martin’s pretty realistic! We’ve got a village witch. My sister’s village has two.

Hebden Bridge, Tynemouth, Lancaster.

Know both Hove and Lewes well and too burby for me

Yeah, stay where you are. Do not come to Lewes we will stick you on the bonfire.

There are two camps in Lewes, old Lewesians and DFLs. The DFLs are to be found outside the Flint Owl bakery and can be easily identified. Stripy Ts and turns ups, carrying the Guardian and a scruffy boden dressed toddler by their dungarees. The rest of us are diverse! Poets, artists, jewellers, authors, potters and sculptors. Some famous, mostly struggling but enjoying what they do.

House prices are ridiculous, you can't buy a two bed house for much under 500,000. The DFL effect.

Its certainly not burby here. Its cobbled streets and grade two listed, lots of character, pubs, independent cafes, restaurants and shops. Lots of pubs....oops mentioned that twice, do not come here if you don't like pubs, and can't stomach Harvey's ale. In terms of culture we have lots of groups that meet up to discuss politics and current affairs, art shows, open air events, theatre and now a very good independent cinema.

But, yeah, stay where you are, we blow stuff up, we hold grudges and turf people off the Cliff bridge in tar barrels and if you do decide to venture here I would recommend joining Southover BFS they even wear turn ups on their smugglers trousers.

I would recommend Hastings.

@Cowbells

How about Margate? Gorgeous new art gallery, very indie and a bit scruffy and arty. No idea about schools, though.

Near the beach

comes with 1.5 acres of woodland!

Both around £500k. Might move there myself!

Nice for a weekend away, especially with kids

I can imagine not nearly so nice to actually life there

Mmmmm ... Harvey’s at the Brewery Tap.

Eastbourne !

Aberystwyth.

There’s been an arty community trying to make Margate happen for a while now but away from a tiny enclave it still has a way to go. I visited friends who made the move before lockdown. Lots of ex offender hostels and drunks and stuff not far from the beach. Thanet (Farage popular there) area isn’t known for open mindedness. The schools aren’t great either. Nice for a day out though. It has potential but could take a while.