Can anyone tell me about Hastings?

[Molesworth]

We're about to start looking at properties in Hastings or St Leonard's - any top tips on househunting in the area would be much appreciated!

Not bothered about catchment areas (kids almost grown up). Preferably looking for a sea view and fairly central location (or easy access to station and shops/caffs etc).

If you live there, would you recommend it to others?

Managed to get down to Hastings for a day last week to see it for the first time, and I thought it was fab. Love the old town and surrounding countryside is gorgeous. St Leonard's really is a bit grim though isn't it?

I went by train so wasn't able to scout around very much, but wonder which outlying villages/small towns might be worth looking at. What is Bexhill like, for instance?

I've heard of a few people recently looking at Hastings. Apparently it attracts a nice arty crowd and is quite happening.

Blimey Bexhill though. My sister used to work for Westminster Press and in her early days they sent her to the Bexhill Observer for a stint. It was dire then but about 90% of the population who lived there then must be dead by now. Where do all the new old people come from?

I live in Bexhill and I think it's lovely! Mind you, we have 4 young dc and we find it really good for them. Decent, clean beach (if you don't mind the pebbles), big park and boating lake/playground. Not much for teenagers as it can have that sleepy Sunday feel to it (but in a good way IYKWIM) De La Warr has been refurbed and get quite a few arty types milling around at the weekends for exhibitions there which is also a bit more interesting...

Used to live in St Leonards just off Harrow Lane. Little Ridge Avenue area is near to hospital, developed mid 1990's, near to primary and secondary schools - used to love watching the Helenswood girls gobbing out of the top windows of the buses.....

I live around that way and really like Hastings. More than Brighton. It is very bohemian as someone said earlier.
If you're looking at surrounding villages - any really. Seddlescombe, Battle or Fairlight the other way...all lovely.
I do like Bexhill myself too.

Just updating this old thread to say we're now buying a property in the West Hill area. Thanks for the advice, all

Welcome!
(I've namechanged, I was CandleQueen!)

The West Hill is fab. Did you get your sea view??

ooh hello

Yes, well, a sideways view from the front of the house, but there's a panoramic view from the top of the (frankly vertical) garden!

I've got a sea view if I lean right out of my bedroom window!!

Ah yes, the vertical gardens. It helps if you think of Hastings as like Rome - built on seven hills!

Ooooh wish I had seen this when it was first on chat.

I'm local, I've lived in the Hastings/St Leonards area for most of my life. However, I have just moved out of the area to Battle, but I'm in and out all the time as I go to the Uni on Havelock Road.

Some properties on the WestHill are stunning, do you have an Old Town view?

I saw someone mention The Pig further down the thread, do not go there now as it is a total dump, but it was a pretty cool place when I worked there 13 years ago!

Waterfalls on Robertson Street has a lovely cafe upstairs (you have to walk through the shop to the back and up the stairs) if you are partial to a cheese scone then that is the place to go!

OMG! 13 years ago ties in to when I used to frequent the Pig!
I have very hazy fond memories of the "end of summer" parties, where the back room was turned into a sand pit and huge vats pitchers of sangria were consumed!

Yes, those hills are STEEEEEP! At some point we'll have to do some work on the garden: it has been sort of roughly terraced but I still got vertigo and had to cling on to DP for the downward journey

Will also need to put a new kitchen in ASAP, but other than that the house is great inside

Hoping to complete in February. My mum will move there first and we'll follow a bit later when circs allow. I'm hoping there'll be lots going on for mum to get involved with to help her settle there and make some pals. We're so excited and can't wait to get down there

Oh yes the Pig rocked in those days, I remember making all the flavoured vodkas in the kitchen. We had some amazing after hours parties too! I miss the old Pig.

Molesworth, you must go for a walk over the East Hill, and through the Glen. It is one of Hastings best kept secrets, truely beautiful.

As it happens, I'm very partial to a cheese scone so I'll be sure to check out the café

What are you doing at the uni JH? Someone mentioned something about a new college being built (or has already been built?): is that an FE college? I'm just thinking about work prospects as I am a student myself at the moment but thinking about maybe teaching in the post-compulsory sector later on.

Funds didn't allow for the best part of West Hill and there wasn't all that much on the market there in the autumn (in our price range anyway), so when I say it's in West Hill it's a little further down the hill towards the town centre but still only a few mins mountaineering walk from West Hill itself. Anyway, we're happy with the area, whatever it's called!

I know where you mean, depending on which way down you go you are either on the Clive Vale/ WestHill border or Blacklands/WestHill border, or you could be down towards Milward Rd Hmmmmmmmm so many ways down. Am I confusing anyone yet?

The Uni is called University Centre Hastings and is part of Brighton Uni. I'm doing a Joint Hons Degree in Education and English Literature.

The college is just being finished now and is at the top of Havelock Rd, next to the train station. It will open for new intake in 2 months I believe.

Ahhh, you're spot on with Milward Road

Thank you for the info about the new college: could be job opportunities there in the future then, maybe. I had a look at the University Centre's website: seems like a brilliant and innovative idea to set up a satellite university. Are you enjoying your time there?

Some beautiful period properties on Milward Road, pretty damn handy for everything too. Town, Park, Beach, Hill, good choice.

UCH is expanding soon as well they have just been given planning permission to extend at the back of the main Post Office, so there will be loads of possible job ops for you.

I'm loving my time at UCH, it's such a friendly and supportive enviroment to learn in, and very welcoming of mature students . It really is an amazing innovation, if it wasn't for UCH I may have had to give up my education. I'm not sure I could have coped with travelling to Brighton 3-4 days a week to study, when I have 3 small dc's at home.

I know you don't live here yet, but how do you find Hastings?

Go to go to bed, I have Uni in the morning, but I shall catch up on here tomorrow. Night.

ooh thanks for saying it's a good choice: I was scared I'd come back to this thread and find that someone had said "Milward Road? OH NO!" or similar. DP doesn't drive so it was important to be fairly central. My only worry is how my mum will cope with the hills and the fact that we don't have a dog-walking area literally on our doorstep, so she'll be reliant on her car and/or me (anticipate bulging calf muscles within weeks).

UCH sounds excellent and I'm excited to hear that it's expanding. I want to continue my studies after I finish with the OU but assumed I'd have to commute to either London or Brighton. To be able to study in Hastings itself would be perfect so I'll keep a close eye on developments there.

As for how we find Hastings, we love it. Some friends moved there about two years ago and it was their evangelising that convinced us, really (affordable house prices helped a lot too). The surrounding countryside is just beautiful: we stayed for a week in November to do our house hunting and took the dogs for walks at the country park on the road to Fairlight and it took our breath away!

I have friends who live in Fairlight country park - it's totally amazing.
My M&D are in Winchelsea Beach, which is the little bay you can see from the carpark by the visitors centre.

Hi Molesworth, I wondered if this would be you. Happy new year to you and yours .

I'm sure my dm would be happy to show your dm around the place. A starting point at least. There'll be no excuse for db & sil to visit now given the amount of family who will be there. Likewise with Sabina xx

Happy new year DelGirl!

My DM will definitely meet up with your DM when she gets down there; we were hoping to meet up with her last time we were there but she was away that week unfortunately.

Molesworth
I wonder how has life been in Hastings for the last 6 years?