Moving to Brighton- Which neighbourhood?

[dyslexicdespot]

My family and I are planning to move to Brighton/Hove this autumn. We will be renting and would like to live in an area with other queer/queer friendly families and a good supportive primary school.

Other bonuses would be (in no particular order) areas with a strong sense of community and a nice dog park.

Any suggestion?

Kemptown or nearby & Carlton Hill Primary would probably suit your needs well, but to be honest, this is Brighton, so long as you stay Fairly central & don't cross "the redneck line" I doubt you will have problems anywhere

Good luck :)

Ah, thanks so much! Where is the redneck line?

No problem :)

its weird, its hard to define really, but I suppose most of the suburbs, bar Hove itself & maybe Shoreham - though beware, some estate agents list Portslade as "west Hove" & I've definitely noticed a change in tolerance when looking at property there -

We looked at houses there, even though DH warned me it was different to Brighton, I couldn't believe it could be so different & be so close, but it can be - walking down the street every other car/person/idiot shouting Elvis at my DH & I've had alternative looking friends visit for the arts festival & go out Whitehawk & Moulescomb way & comment they couldn't believe the difference - it can be the same shopping out that way (Liddl & Asda) & I've visited a Cat sanctuary on Portland road way & I shocked to hear the owners being VERY biggotted over another muslim looking family - I'd expect that sort of intolerance would spill over to you too -

it is weird here, we do live in a lovely tolerant of everything little bubble, so much so its easy to forget just how ignorant some people can be outside of that, but there does seem to be a very definite line & you cross it & its back to small town mentality that you unfortunately find anywhere - but do long as you stay in Brighton & Hove itself, Central Brighton, Kemptown & avoid the areas mentioned above, I think you should love it here -

my DD is at Carlton Hill & I know that several of the staff are gay & there are quite a few families like yourself too, its hard to get in there now, but you could probably use your status to help get in - but I'm pretty sure that is the same with Schools such as Middle Street & other central Brighton schools, though I'm not do sure about St Barts, as I think there's a bit more of a rougher feed into that school - IYKWIM - Carlton Hill has a very mixed feed, but intolerance of any kind is dealt with, not ignored

We have friends living in Shoreham, which is a nice area, they love it & we have lesbian friends who also visit & stay over often, they aren't parents, but they childmind, so often have mindees with them & they've commented on how nice it is there & that they never get any hassle, even thinking of moving there themselves, but I'm not sure how Schools are there, you will need to research that a bit more.

HTH

Just thinking, the Hanover Area might suit you too - known locally as Muesli Hill, good local schools, including Carlton Hil, well known for its community feel, though a mixed community & you have the fantastic Queens Park close by - its close to Kemptown too

Hanover seconded as having nice folks. Elm Grove school is lovely and friendly. Good luck with the move!

Thank you so much for this advice. I really appreciate it. I am getting so nervous about this move, even though we are only renting so if we hate our new neighbourhood we could always move again. But I would rather get it right and find a place where we will not be considered to be the ?odd? family, who may or may not be tolerated.

I have looked at the prospectus for the different school you guys have recommended and they all seem lovely school. We will definitely visit them soon and check out the neighbourhoods!

Thanks again.

Honestly, in Brighton, there is no such thing as odd, anything goes, it one of the things I love most about living here & especially bringing up DCs here - I realised how much I loved it, the day my then much younger DD complained about a local Transvestite - not Mum, why is that man wearing a dress, but why is that man wearing that dress with those shoes - they don't look good together :) - it didn't even register with her that there might be something odd about a man wearing a dress at all - as it should be:)

Thanks for that notsorockinhippy,

That is exactly the kind of environment I want DS to grow up in!