Hastings?

[SmiledWithTheRisingSun]

Looking at the south cost for a potential move.
Where are the nicest parts of Hastings?
What's St. Leonard's Like?
Any advice re: areas & good schools would be hugely appreciated.
Thanks 

Hastings is....interesting. There are some very nice bits and some downright awful bits. There has been a fair bit of regeneration along the seafront and other areas in recent years, and in my opinion overall it's on the up. Having said that, I wrote this on another recent thread about Hastings and another poster came along and informed me that I was wrong and it most definitely isn't on the up. I actually live in the area and they don't....

We moved down to the coast from a very naice chocolate box Buckinghamshire village, and will never go back. The area is our home now, and in spite of the rough bits we love it. The area immediately surrounding Alexandra Park is very nice, as is the West Hill (beautiful sea views from up there) and the Old Town. Other nice areas are out in the surrounding villages. St Leonard's is kind of similar to Hastings in that there are lovely bits and pretty awful bits. St L's and H run into each other and the border between the two isn't always terribly clear. St L's has most of the old Victorian buildings; H is more modern, with the exception of the old Town.

Re schools, the village primaries are generally better than the town ones and the secondaries are not great. There are a couple of secondaries near to, but not in, Hastings, which have better reputations. There are some good private schools if that's an option for you. I wouldn't move down to Hastings for a good education unless you can consider private, tbh.

Thanks Catkin.
That's really helpful.
We will be looking for good schools so perhaps it's not the best plan.

Hello OP, I'm thinking of doing a move to South coast too, if Hastings is out are you contemplating anywhere else? Can't help thinking that huge house prices/ mortgages in Surrey means I am getting my priorities all wrong - missing out on my DD growing up while I toil at a job I loathe just to pay through the nose to live in an area I don't care about! Rant over!
@CatkinToadflax are there any other parts down your way that would be worth exploring in your opinion?

Hi porger, we certainly found that moving down here from Buckinghamshire meant we could afford a much nicer house. We moved from a teeny bungalow in Bucks to a spacious house in Sussex with a big garden, which cost us £150k less than the sale price of the bungalow. We are currently extending it, and even the building costs are a fair bit less than they would be in Bucks. However the commute into London etc is longer and the state schools less good. Having the sea on the doorstep is lovely, though, and I don’t see us ever moving away from the coast.

Re other places, Battle is lovely, or Lewes (other side of East Sussex) is as well. Eastbourne’s nice, as are parts of Brighton, but I gather that Brighton is becoming increasingly overpriced and it’s fairly similar to Hastings in that it has a hotch-potch of good and bad areas. Try looking in West Sussex/Hampshire too.

Hastings has had a very high rate of drug use and unemployment for a very long time. There are very pretty areas, like the old town, but it isn't somewhere I would want to live.

Eastbourne is a lovely town, and has just had a massive redevelopment of the town centre shopping area. Like all seaside towns it can be a bit bleak during the winter.

Brighton isn't in the same league as Hastings and Eastbourne, it is the 3rd most expensive city for housing in the country after London and Cambridge.

I'm not sure where you are at the moment, but if it helps - my mates moved out of London years ago and have since settled in Eastbourne. After 10 years there, they're only now feeling part of the community - they've had to work hard at it! But their kids have all had a very good education in the meantime.
I almost moved to Hastings from South London a few years ago, but the job scene/ self-employed market is quite limited from my memory . I spent a week there, going to meetings and just chatting to unsuspecting locals! I was told that a lot of people tend to work in Tunbridge Wells or London, but the train can be unreliable. Although things might've changed since then.
Having moved out of London 4 years ago, and found it a bumpy transition, I'd strongly suggest that you take your time to get a feel for a place before making the move.
I now live in lovely Felixstowe - a hidden gem on the Suffolk coast and much cheaper than the bigger seaside towns. It's very friendly here, a lovely high street, a great sense of community and there's a reputable secondary state school a few miles away (Farlingaye).
But if you're set on the south coast, do keep an open mind. I totally underestimated the sense of community - some places are very inward looking and it's a challenge making friends.
Whatever you decide - good luck!