Brighton or Cambridge?

[carolineofcanton]

Hi. I am a mum of two from Hong Kong. DH and I are planning to relocate the family to Britain. We are grateful to the BN(O) scheme for giving us this opportunity.

We've narrowed down to Brighton and Cambridge as likely locations and within our budget. DH knows Britain as he studied in the U.K. as an undergraduate and then again as a Master's student in the 1990s. He has warm feelings to the U.K. However, he is not familiar with Brighton or Cambridge.

We want our children to have a laid back upbringing and an escape from Hong Kong's competitive schooling system. While we have heard great things about Cambridge, we worry that the city might have an overabudance of an 'academic' atmosphere. That said, we also want decent state schools. We've heard great things about Brighton. Because it is near the seaside, my oldest might have an easier time adjusting as Hong Kong also has nice beaches :)

To me, Cambridge seems idyllic while Brighton has more going on. Can anyone give a broader overview of the two cities?

@InceyWinceySpidy there are a few reasons - it helps that it’s close enough to London for a day trip but one of the major draws is that pretty much everyone in China learns a poem called ‘Saying Goodbye to Cambridge Again’ in school and the city is therefore very prominent in the popular imagination, in addition to the appeal of the history of the university etc.

I’ve lived in both and they are both great cities. Cambridge is smaller and cleaner and fairly dominated by the university, but that does spill over into interesting cultural events for townspeople too. Brighton is more socioeconomically diverse and is very liberal (Cambridge is liberal too but I’d say less so). It elected the UK’s only green MP. The festival in Brighton and the fringe in May is fantastic and much bigger than anything that happens in Cambridge. For surroundings I prefer Brighton as you have the beach and the South Downs so there is excellent hill walking on the edges of the city (which juts into the city itself). Cambridge and it’s surroundings is very flat. They both have mild weather by UK standards but I think Cambridge has hotter summers and colder winters. I prefer Brighton’s weather though it can be windy and has higher humidity. For schools they both have excellent sixth form
colleges and decent but not excellent secondaries. In Brighton being in the catchment area for Stringer/Varndean is a good idea. There is a lottery but >85% of kids in the catchment get a place at one of them. All told I prefer living in Brighton though I loved Cambridge too.

@ThanksItHasPockets

Thank you, I didn't know that. I love facts like this, and now going to look the poem up...

I'd suggest you look at Bristol, Canterbury, South Oxfordshire (but not necessarily right in Oxford town centre).

You haven't said if you want to live right in a city or if you'd be happy in a smaller town near those locations?

If your children are going to state schools, being in a university city doesn't have any bearing on what the schools are like.

PP suggesting London seem to have missed OP saying that she wants to escape the rat race…

Then Cambridge isn't the place to go either..it feels so congested all the time, more so as a pedestrian, probably because the cyclists barge their way everywhere, and with the narrow streets and quite high buildings, it feels quite claustrophobic.

I can't think of anywhere else to recommend other than London though. I'm only particularly knowledgeable about East Anglia, so Norwich, Cambridge and Ipswich. None I would suggest for what OP is looking for.

Raising kids in brighton is not necessarily easy (used to live there). City centre is busy, traffic heavy and also navigating around town is stressful especially with kids. I really dislike this aspect of it and it makes raising kids here difficult. Other parents seem mostly indifferent, and there's less of a community vibe I have found (at school, for example). People just don't really want to get to know you and your kids making a social life more difficult! Weird, as it's a busy city, so you would think that there would be more opps for friends, but I have found the opposite. People are flakey, stuck up or indifferent. Plus the deprivation side of things: drug addicts, homelessness and alcoholics. I also find that I crave more green space, trees and peace! Sure there are parks but they are a walk, and the downs is not far, but the centre is generally not very green or pleasant. Might be different according to which area you live in e.g. if you live in more of an estate it would probably be friendlier. On the plus side there are tons of after school clubs, holiday clubs, kids activities (free stuff) etc. I'm not sure on balance it makes up for the other issues I mentioned though.... And while Brighton has a great nightlife, as parents you won't really likely get to experience it! it feels wasted on you!!

I wouldn’t recommend Brighton but think Cambridge could be a good fit. Some of the other cities PPs have suggested could also work. I’d perhaps recommend getting an Airbnb for 1-2 weeks in a few cities to see which you prefer?

Cambridge is freezing?! I never knew this. What’s the reason for that? Its pan microclimate?

Hey OP is the no way you can try out both by doing a few weeks in each, perhaps in an AirBnb? It’s such a big decision! And once you pick your city you likely will stay 🙂

cambridge is in an area of flat land, so ideal if you like walking but not ideal if you like views from hills. It’s just under 2 hours by car to popular, beautiful holiday spots on the Suffolk and Norfolk coastline with sandy beaches. It has an academic vibe for sure, and of course there are lots of students (although I don’t think this is anything like that HK school competitiveness). It’s a pretty city and it probably has everything you need in terms of amenities. Downside is not very close to an airport, and it’s the city that’s not really near anywhere else, so you’ll be Cambridgeshire people. Also too hard to commute into London if that was ever a criteria.

brighton is really popular for left-wing, creative types who are leaving London. It has pastel coloured cottages, a quirky open air shopping area called The Lanes and access to all of the Sussex coastline. I personally find it too left wing (their MP in Parliament is a bit of a nut case imo) and don’t agree with things like drag story time for little kids, and there’s a lot of this going on as it’s quite an activist city. The beach is pebble so you’d have to like that, and it’s busy. There’s a pier with fun yet trashy games and funfair rides. There’s plenty to do for teens. Personally I also think Brighton is congested with traffic and a bit dirty especially near the railway station. It’s also popular with stag and hen parties at weekends so get a bit … drunk.

You could consider Lewes, Hove or Eastbourne if you wanted somewhere a little more like a small town rather than small city.
Have you considered York? It’s a historic, small city, very walkable, near a bigger city (Leeds) for those days you really want to feel the buzz and will given you access to holidays in national parks and the Yorkshire wolds or coastline.

conclusion: If it were a cocktail, Brighton is a passion fruit daiquiri, Cambridge is a negroni.

@sellotape12 eh? Cambridge is 30 minutes from Standsted international airport (quicker by train) and 50 minutes from Kings X in London. There are 2 train stations and lots of people commute to London. The only bit of your post that is correct is that there are no hills and few views!

Okay, I stand corrected! I honestly never thought of Stanstead probably because it’s not the nicest experience

I would say a lot of people do live in Cambridge for the ease of access and commute to London

Fair point @InceyWinceySpidy . I said that because London is so much bigger. I don’t find it congested when I visit my friend’s house in Cambridge.

I spent a year in Cambridge, lived very near the station, and found it super easy to get to London!

I've lived in both and personally prefer Brighton. Both have good private schools with Brighton College and Roedean probably trumping the likes of Perse. However in Cambridge, Hills Rd sixth form which is a state school has by far the best results in terms of getting kids into Oxbridge of any state school or it used to. This is probably unfair though as there are a ridiculous number of children of profs dons etc in that sixth form gaming the system and pulling them out of the local private schools to go there.

The colleges in Cambridge completely dominate the town so it feels quite claustrophobic. Not to say there aren't lovely things to do outside like Strawberry Fair or exploring the surrounding country side. It's just Brighton has loads to do (not as much as London but pretty much everything from the sea to the Downs within walking distance plus a thriving art scene/ night life). Yes there are deprived areas but all towns have these.

Tunbridge Wells(Tonbridge) still has grammar schools Relaxed but near London Family orientated and well heeled but not snooty

No uni at T Wells mind you