Philosophy Today: What does Brighton & Hove mean to you?

[The Large One]

I ask this to visitors and residents alike.

I walk from just down from Fiveways across to Western Road each day to work. On the way, I pass many facets of inner Brighton - London Road, the new buildings by the station, North Laine, Queens Road, Western Road and so on.

Walking past these places, I have an association with the 'familiar' - in other words, it's something I know and appreciate, and can take great comfort from knowing it's there. A bit like viewing the Brighton, Hove and beyond from the top of the Race Hill in the summer at sunset.

All of these areas I walk past, just a few streets long represent so many different aspects of the city. Low budget existence, enterprise, diversity, 'designer-living' (whatever that is), business and retail commerce, but all in a slightly different way that I find in most towns or cities in the UK. Kemp Town is a different story altogether...

I tend to think of Brighton as the smallest of England's big cities. For such a relatively small place, it's quite hard to get bored down here.

As a native, I also appreciate that I take the sea for granted as well, something you can't do in Wolverhampton or Croydon. Having said that, Croydon being flooded does have a certain appeal. The South Downs, just 20 minutes walk away (although technically the whole city is, of course, built on the South Downs) are also something to take full enjoyment of.

Two questions:

1. What does Brighton mean to you?
2. If it's such a great city, what's so wrong in having a stadium in the only place it can go?

 

[Drumstick]

To me it means ' Home, an exciting and wonderful place to be' and nothing build 4! stadiums or just one real big one! Even if croydon was flooded it would stil be a shit hole wouldn't let a shark init incased it got stabbed!

 

[Chicken Run]

Brighton & Hove means nothing more to me than two towns which became one!

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Having spent all my life in Brighton, up until now
Brighton & Hove will always have a special place in my heart.

Although, there are many parts of the city I dislike. West Street for example, although that is gradually improving. The Chav culture is disrupting the city.

My love is for the entirety of Sussex. I truly believe that there is no better county. Some come close (Cumbria/Devon/Cornwall).

A compact city which welcomes all sorts of people, with open arms. We deserve our stadium.

 

[ben andrews' girlfriend]

Since i've moved to Southampton, i've realised that Brighton means so much to me - for me it means home. Sitting on the train on the way back, when i see the sea and the countryside and the city all mixed in together, i cant help but smile. Brighton is such a cosmopolitain city, with everyone living together, whatever background they have come from and whatever sexuality they are. It's just so much of a nicer city than anywhere that i've been - and sitting in southampton at the moment, with the sun coming through my window makes me want to go back home, and sit on the beach with a good book and relaxing music in the background.

Dammit i want to come home now!!!!

The problem with Brighton arises in the second problem - things that involve changing something takes so damn long!

 

[Rougvie]

Although, there are many parts of the city I dislike. West Street for example, although that is gradually improving. The Chav culture is disrupting the city.

You will find that EVERYWHERE these days, in fact I think Brighton gets off lightly.

 

[Franks Wild Years]

I was just having a similar thought. I'd love to move back one day, for all the reasons you've listed. I really feel that Brighton offers so much. Whenever I visit I'm always struck by the amount of things going on. You really would be hard pushed getting bored.
However, and I suppose this ties in with the larger question of what makes a place home, I've been away for so long now that my home from a 'friends' perspective is in Bristol. I'm starting to think that its the people that make a place home, and I feel quite sad about that because it means that I'll never move back.

 

[Man of Harveys]

A BAD thread to start on a day when the place was looking particularly fantastic this morning, bathed in sunshine - when I had to leave for grim London to earn a crust.

For me, for all the ludicrous variety and amount of fun to be had in such a small urban space, it always comes back to the sea. It's a town on a cliff and a beach and that always asserts itself.

I love cycling on the undercliff walk in the sun and spray, or getting your feet wet on the shingle between the piers - I'll never forget how weird it seemed once going from bouncing about on a boat in the sea to being on the piss in the Lanes five minutes later, for example.

It is a bit chavvy and rough these days but, sadly, as people say, that is far from just a Brighton problem.

 

[Franks Wild Years]

This thread has depressed me.

That is all

 

[Trufflehound]

Whenever people around the world ask me where in England I'm from, I always answer "Brighton". Even though I haven't lived there for over 30 years, or in Hove for 18, it is, and will always be, my spiritual home.

*wipes nostalgic tear from eye*

 

[Man of Harveys]

I'm sure that on the Palace fans board, the "what does Croydon mean to you" thread is positively buzzing with responses.

 

[itszamora]

I don't know what it means to me to be honest. I almost think of Exeter as home now because I've made such a lot of friends there, but all the same I'll always be from Brighton, I'll always love its football team, and the Lanes, and the Pavilion, and the seaside and so on and so on....

 

[Deleted User X18H]

The Epitomy of a pleasent lifestyle I have never lived out of the twin towns so admittedly know no different, Mrs Hove B&B moved here when she was twelve and will never leave she can be classed as a Brightonian as she married on of the towns most engaging characters.

 

[Northstander]

brighton and hove - in one word - "Unique!"

 

[bathseagull]

I was born in Brighton and lived there or thereabouts until I went to university in 2002, i'm now living in london.
The last time i went (for a club night the friday before crewe away) was the first time i've felt like i didn't belong there. I felt a really strange atmosphere about the place - can't quite put my finger on it but it wasn't nice.
I found people much less welcoming than before and it felt much more like a cold, impersonal night out in London than a comfortable, friendly, relaxed evening that I remember.
I came away feeling really odd and feeling that it wasn't my home town anymore.

 

[The Large One]

I was born in Brighton and lived there or thereabouts until I went to university in 2002, i'm now living in london.
The last time i went (for a club night the friday before crewe away) was the first time i've felt like i didn't belong there. I felt a really strange atmosphere about the place - can't quite put my finger on it but it wasn't nice.
I found people much less welcoming than before and it felt much more like a cold, impersonal night out in London than a comfortable, friendly, relaxed evening that I remember.
I came away feeling really odd and feeling that it wasn't my home town anymore.

Probably because there are too many London immigrants in Brighton now...

 

[Croydonbloke]

Brighton

Brighton is the gay capital of the world.

Invested with Seagull poop.

Stoney Beach.

No Character.

Have to commute to Croydon or London for good Jobs and pay.

You don`t have the pleasure of having a day out to the sea as you are there al, the time.

Croydon

Croydon is vibrant.

Good Job oppotunities and Close to London.

We have pleasure in visiting the coast `EXCLUDING BRIGHTON` in the summer.

We have Palace

 

[Les Biehn]

Although, there are many parts of the city I dislike. West Street for example, although that is gradually improving. The Chav culture is disrupting the city.

Its not really any worse than it was before. People forget about ten years ago there was always loads of fights in West Street on a Friday and Saturday, way more than there is now. You just tire of it is all.

 

[Curious Orange]

Brighton just means family to me.

Stadium, yes.

 

[The Clown of Pevensey Bay]

I was born in Brighton and lived there or thereabouts until I went to university in 2002, i'm now living in london.
The last time i went (for a club night the friday before crewe away) was the first time i've felt like i didn't belong there. I felt a really strange atmosphere about the place - can't quite put my finger on it but it wasn't nice.
I found people much less welcoming than before and it felt much more like a cold, impersonal night out in London than a comfortable, friendly, relaxed evening that I remember.
I came away feeling really odd and feeling that it wasn't my home town anymore.

I've had the same experience. I lived in Brighton between the ages of about 4 and 18 and it'll always be home to me. But every time I come back (which is more often now I live in London and not the frozen North) there seems to be something new built, or a pub that's changed its name, or a new sodding housing development for rich Londoners, or a band I'm not completely familiar with who are about to be the next big thing. When I lived in Brighton I wasn't so bothered by it all, because I was used to it happening all the time.

So what does B&H mean to me? An ever-changing place which, er, doesn't like change very much.