Hastings - shall we move there?

[migratingsouth]

DP has been offered a job in Hastings (we live in London and want to move out).

Does anyone know anything about the place?

We've visited and I loved the Old Town, the coffee shops in the centre of town and being by the sea. I'd love us to be near to DP's work as they work strange / unsocial hours in his industry, and it would be really nice if he could easily pop home during the day. Also I'm very keen on the fact we could actually afford a house there.

However I'm aware that Hastings / St Leonards has a bad reputation for having social problems (as has the bit of London we're moving from, mind you!)

We two pre-school DCs.

If it was just for me, I could happily live in a place labelled "socially deprived" - I have done all my life. However is this fair on our DCs? We're leaving London precisely because we feel it's not fair to bring the DCs up in our bit of it (and can't afford the "nice" bits). Would a move to Hastings be out of the frying pan, into the fire?

Can anyone tell me, what are Hastings / St Leonards like really?

(You're not the first to mention it!)

I've found the fact that Hastings is considered 'deprived' to be a good thing as a parent of preschoolers. It means that it has been allocated a huge amount of funding so provides far more free activities, courses with creches, clubs, fun days etc., than most other towns.

As for schools, Blacklands, Silverdale, St Pauls, Little Ridge, Dudley Infants all have good reputations. I don't know much about the others, but Hollington and Elphinstone are traditionally ones to avoid, largely because of their locations.

You'll probably get more accommodation for your money if you look at flats rather than houses. Hastings and St Leonards have large numbers of huge converted Victorian properties, containing beautiful flats with large rooms, high ceilings etc. Nice areas near good schools within your budget are anywhere near Alexandra Park, Silverhill, Horntye Road area, Old Town, Clive Vale and the Little Ridge estate (newer houses). Areas that aren't so nice are Hollington, the Malvern Way estate, central St Leonards, Bexhill Road (congested), Farley Bank area and the upper bit of Ore, although as one poster above said, you can get a lovely street right next to a grotty one.

I know several people who have moved to Hastings from London. All love it, and don't regret their decisions.

My friend's gran used to live on the ground floor of that St Helens Road place you linked to!! It's in a nice terrace with good on-street parking, a fantastic nursery just round the corner and a lovely park opposite.

Surely someone here has mentioned the truly fantastic crazy golf courses on the sea front. 3 of them.

This needs to be considered as an advantage.

I wonder if they do a season ticket for residents?

Hmm. How do they know if you get a hole in one???

We live 180 miles away but, that's irrelevant, I neeeed to know these things.

TeamEdward I'm a weirdo but I just looked at your profile. Do you make birthday cakes?

Sorry for de-rail.

My DS is desperate to go to the crazy golf but every time I say we'll go, it rains.

Ooh I really like the Pevensey Road one :)

What's Pirate Golf? Sounds right up my DS's street!

(mmmmm cake )

CuppaTeaJanice what a coincidence :) That really is local knowledge!

They look great. I love the Batman one. DS has a birthday coming up, that's why I asked.

I thought I saw a grey castle with blue turrets?

I best avoid any crazy golfness too. Sorry.