St Leonard's on Sea

[SmiledWithTheRisingSun]

Do you live here?
What's it like?

We visited last year for a cheap holiday. The coastline area is very British seasidey and a little bit tacky. There were some nicer areas and we wandered further inland to the residential areas.

I live about 40 mins away but go to st leonards regularly for work. Hastings has had a lot of money put in as it's an area of high deprivation but saying that there is a nice town centre and plenty of schools. St Leonard's itself isn't somewhere I would choose to live as it's mostly quite undesirable unless you have a lot of cash to live in the nicer areas, and then there are probably better areas of East Sussex you could choose. Have you considered bexhill, eastbourne or rye?

Thanks. Just considering various areas the the moment

I lived there, it has rough bits and very nice bits, warrior square/london road is not great, where my parents live (toward west St Leonards) is lovely.
I'd move back in a heartbeat if I could.

I used to live there. As PP said, it has rough parts & nicer parts. My favourite place was in West St Leonards with views towards Beachy head. If you want to know about individual areas in Hastings/St Leonards I can oblige.

Bexhill is well known as Gods waiting room. Eastbourne is a little better & has better shops. If I moved back to the coast I'd probably choose Eastbourne over Hastings/St Leonards. Rye is a shithole in my opinion, but lots of people seem to like it. What makes me laugh about the south coast is that 20/30 years ago there wasn't a huge amount of price difference between Brighton, (which is also a shithole IMO) & Hastings. How I wish I'd bought my first place in Brighton instead of St Leonards lol.

It certainly has its rough parts but St Leonard's and Hastings are definitely on the up. House prices in the area have been steadily rising over the past few years as it's a bit of a draw for people who can't afford Brighton!

Sounds like a mixed bag. What are the nice parts of Hastings?

St Leonard's and Hastings are definitely on the up

Maybe in terms of increasingly cheeky asking prices; in no other way I can think of is the area “on the up”. I like Hastings, but it gets a little worse every year.

I grew up in St Leonards and lived there for over 20 years. I moved away and would happily never visit again if I didn't have family there.

I'll give you my honest opinion - houses are cheap for a reason. Like a lot of seaside towns, Hastings/St Leonards are very deprived, and there are lots of problems with the area. It's nice to go to for a sunny day at the seaside, and yes the houses in the more upmarket old town area are nice, but that's where the postitives end.

Crime/violence is getting worse, and there are some areas I would never walk around at night including St Leonards Warrior Square. I actually felt genuinely threatened on the occassions I had to walk back from the station after 9pm. Even during the day you have to be on your guard.

If you have kids, don't even think about it unless you have the money to go private. All the secondary schools in Hastings are beyond awful, with abysmal GCSE results, and even those in the surrounding areas are not much better unless you can get into a religious school. Some parents pay for their children to travel to Battle or Robertsbridge, but spaces for these schools are sparse and it's competitive.

Unemployment is also high and there isn't much around in the town itself unless you want to work in a shop or care home. A lot of people travel outside for work, but the rail service isn't the best - over an hour to get to Brighton, and the best part of two hours to get to London.

It's a similar picture along the East Sussex coast, but Hastings/St Leonards is beyond doubt the worst. Bexhill is slightly better, but the problems with unemployment, schools etc still remain, and there are rough bits there too. Eastbourne has more going for it in terms of shops and facilities, but it also has its problems. If I were you and looking to move to the area, I would maybe pick one of the villages slightly inland?

i used to be a junior housemistress/gofer in a private school there - The convent of our lady. Beautiful old building run by ageing nuns.
Had a fun year there but it was a long time agao

The Debenhams is one of the last of the nice big shops still around, and even they have druggie lighting in the toilets.

houses are cheap for a reason

I would amend this to cheaper . Prices are still out of kilter to salaries, not to mention heedless of local realities. Everybody wants a piece of that old town action.

Some cool restaurants and cinema, but Yy to violence, poor schools and drugs....

Do you think there's anywhere nice to live along that coast? Or should I just forget it?!

I think you would be better equipped with answers if you spent time in the area , got to see and know what you liked and didn't like . People answering a question on a forum such as this will have views different to your own .

I moved here ( st. Leonards ) about 3 - 4 years ago from a very respectable affluent & quiet rural area so I fully expected to make some changes as it's a completely different life

It's true about the bad bits , homeless , druggies , crime etc but compared with 10or so years ago it's unrecognisable , lots of new London & Brighton money coming into the area both as first and second homes , nice cafes and eateries that are popping up and staying , great local independent cinemas

House prices still steadily rising

Talking with people I've met who have lived here a long time it's got very much better over the years and is still improving , the collection of roads I live in currently was fondly described to me as down town Beirut ten years ago but now is Shoreditch by the sea - certainly an air of gentrification here now

I think it's what you make it , I love it here , only moved here by accident ( partners work ) it has loads of gorgeous old property and architecture. I've met great people and love the life here .

@SmiledWithTheRisingSun it depends on your budget really. I would avoid Hastings completely, but there are some nice bits of Bexhill (for example, Cooden, Little Common) and Eastbourne (Meads area). But if you have children you intend to intend to send to state schools, I would still avoid tbh.

I think Seaford is supposed to be better. There are also some nice towns/villages slightly in land (but not far from the coast). Lewes is lovely but pricey and Battle and Robertsbridge are alright.

We've just moved to St leonards and so far we love it. Some bits are a bit rough around the edges but everyone is really friendly and it's a lot nicer than it was a few years ago. We've got our dream home and the coast is on our doorstep. Rye is lovely too.

How busy are you looking for the place to be? Eastbourne is getting increasingly trendy with nicer cafes and upgrades to the shopping centre in progress. Either side is seaford and bexhill both of which are nice but less central.

Some of the old houses are absolutely gorgeous but they are mainly converted to flats and a lot appear to be crumbling away. Charity shops, cheap hardware and greasy spoon cafes abound. If you are feeling a bit run down, you blend in there, don't feel self conscious. Lots of unemployed people on benefits.

Other parts of Hastings are much nicer, further along there's a lovely beach called Pett Level which is out of this world.

St Leonard's is a poor area though, I wouldn't want to live there.

I agree with PP’s, not a nice area at all, Warrior Square! Have a visit OP, I am sure you will have the same opinion.

Eastbourne is nice more facilities, better choice for schools, shopping, massive development of the arndale centre, renamed the beacon, nice seafront and pier probably a little dearer housing price wise.

Bexhill definitely a retirement sort of town, but lovely seafront and De La Warr Pavilion is great for the arts.

Seaford is lovely IMHO outstanding secondary school property prices perhaps more expensive than Eastbourne, developing little town with a strong sense of community.

Then Newhaven/Peacehaven going further towards Brighton, cheaper property than Brighton,not as desirable since the massive incinerator was built.

Lewes further inland prices for property are expensive, Lewes is hilly and quite bohemian, not everyone’s cup of tea.

I lived in Brighton many years ago, property prices are crazy, wouldn’t ever move back.

Following this thread as just had an offer accepted in Sliver hill area so relocating from London ( yes another one)..any other single mums out there? Looking for guides, drama groups for energetic 9year olds ..

There's a FB Hastings mums group 68marmite that might be helpful 😊

Thank you had a complete u turn and going to herts instead

Hi all, is West St Leonards rough? If so where in St Leonards would you consider safer/more affluent

Hove is really nice - down to earth and chill but not rough, several nice little HIgh Streets. Lots of cafes and shops, close to Brighton for entertainment.
Eastbourne not bad but has more of a sedate / dull? vibe. This may be changing though with the younger people moving in - but it's a slow change.

Not a fan of Lewes - too small and too hilly, just getting around is a challenge. Best to just visit.