[Brighton] Brighton is actually a pretty rubbish place to live

[BLOCK F]

Middle aged now and have lived in Saltdean/Peacehaven forever.

Growing up in and around Brighton was brilliant, no constraints as a young lad, great fun.

But I look back and it was a little bit grubby in the 70's & 80's but still loved it, but now I enjoy just as much, quirky bars, shops and people, whats not to like.

Bus services for us are great too, havent driven in and parked for years, return ticket £7.00'sh, return with a belly full of laughs, beer and food, lovely ....

Don't blame you for not driving; however, when you buy as much as my wife when she visits Brighton, a car would be handy as she takes up half a railway carriage travelling back to Chichester!

 

[glasfryn]

we left Brighton in 2003 and sold for £162k and that exact house is now on the market at £217k so it has not gone up a huge amount, but is right in the middle of studentland and sorry to say is a bit like a rabbit hutch.
if I had £217k I could probably buy the bungalow we at the moment rent, but like many others our age we would rather rent and the only worry is running out of money before we croak.
in Brighton well Mile oak the same type of bungalow would cost £300k + and the rental would be approx £950 pm but would be somewhat smaller than the one we are in now.
so if someone has a nice house or preferably a bungalow somewhere in the Surenden area Withdean,Westdene, or Patcham for around £800pm let me know
otherwise we will have to love our home city from Eastbourne(not to far and a nice drive).

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Exactly. It's not an easy commute to London so it's not going to attractive to people with London salaries but my point is that if you look outside those areas, Brighton is not stupidly expensive ... £330,000 for a one-bed gaff in Tottenham? Ye gods

A little bit more will by you a poncy 120 sq metre factory conversion in the heart of Mitte (with a ten year fix of 1.75 on your mortgage). UK prices and mortgage rates are insane.

 

[StonehamPark]

My parents are both from Moulsecombe but they moved to Worthing when I came along so I miss out on being born and bred. I do live here now though.

You missed out on growing up in Moulsecoomb, so I'd say you're winning.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

It's not an easy commute to London

It's not an easy commute to London from ANYWHERE in Brighton. Seeing as how its only fifty-odd miles in a straight line, it SHOULD be. But its not. And probably never will be. Sadly it doesn't seem to deter - yet! - the DFLs who are slowly but surely eroding the spirit of the town and making it a far pushier, me-first place to live. Not that most of them live here during the day. Dump their six month old kid in a 'nursery' at seven in the morning and get on the train. Nevermind, they can all meet up and bray in a pushchair-friendly pub of a weekend.

 

[Munkfish]

We recently had our house valued for £350,000 I live 2 minute walk from the Grenny, 3 bedroom, however the 3rd room is a tiny box room. Crazy prices.

 

[alfredmizen]

It's not an easy commute to London from ANYWHERE in Brighton. Seeing as how its only fifty-odd miles in a straight line, it SHOULD be. But its not. And probably never will be. Sadly it doesn't seem to deter - yet! - the DFLs who are slowly but surely eroding the spirit of the town and making it a far pushier, me-first place to live. Not that most of them live here during the day. Dump their six month old kid in a 'nursery' at seven in the morning and get on the train. Nevermind, they can all meet up and bray in a pushchair-friendly pub of a weekend.

Hang on a minute THPP , you've moved into Brighton from outside and commuted to London have you not ? It's a bit rich for you to slate others for doing what you yourself have done !

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Hang on a minute THPP , you've moved into Brighton from outside and commuted to London have you not ? It's a bit rich for you to slate others for doing what you yourself have done !

I like to think I moved to Brighton for the right reasons. In fact I KNOW I did. The reasons were nothing to do with shrewd swivel-eyed acountancy comparisons of property prices and commuting times. I moved down from the Medway Towns - in 1980 - because, as a punk, I'd spent the previous four years coming down to Brighton to watch fantastic punk gigs in absolute safety. Punk gigs were officially banned in the Medway Towns by the council. Down there you spent your life dodging psycho squaddies from Gillingham Barracks at one end of the towns and sailors at Chatham dockyards at the other end, and what would come to be known as 'chavs' in the middle of the towns. Seriously, it was OPEN SEASON on punks, for no good reason at all other than the attackers stunted lives which meant they had to kick the shit out of anyone who wasn't them. Brighton was the ultimate breathe of fresh air. It only clicked one day, out of nowhere, that you were actually ALLOWED to live in a non-shit town in the UK, you didn't just have to come here on your holidays. Quite a revelation for a daft young man to work out for himself, and one I've never regretted to this day. Brighton - despite the DFLs - remains a FANTASTIC place to live. IMHO, like.

 

[alfredmizen]

I like to think I moved to Brighton for the right reasons. In fact I KNOW I did. The reasons were nothing to do with shrewd swivel-eyed acountancy comparisons of property prices and commuting times. I moved down from the Medway Towns - in 1980 - because, as a punk, I'd spent the previous four years coming down to Brighton to watch fantastic punk gigs in absolute safety. Punk gigs were officially banned in the Medway Towns by the council. Down there you spent your life dodging psycho squaddies from Gillingham Barracks at one end of the towns and sailors at Chatham dockyards at the other end, and what would come to be known as 'chavs' in the middle of the towns. Seriously, it was OPEN SEASON on punks, for no good reason at all other than the attackers stunted lives which meant they had to kick the shit out of anyone who wasn't them. Brighton was the ultimate breathe of fresh air. It only clicked one day, out of nowhere, that you were actually ALLOWED to live in a non-shit town in the UK, you didn't just have to come here on your holidays. Quite a revelation for a daft young man to work out for himself, and one I've never regretted to this day.

That's fair enough mate , but it's beyond unfair to arbitrarily decide that others reasons are less valid than yours .

 

[Gwylan]

You missed out on growing up in Moulsecoomb, so I'd say you're winning.

I grew up in Moulsecoomb - didn't do me any harm (awaits hollow laughter)

 

[The Spanish]

I like to think I moved to Brighton for the right reasons. In fact I KNOW I did. The reasons were nothing to do with shrewd swivel-eyed acountancy comparisons of property prices and commuting times. I moved down from the Medway Towns - in 1980 - because, as a punk, I'd spent the previous four years coming down to Brighton to watch fantastic punk gigs in absolute safety. Punk gigs were officially banned in the Medway Towns by the council. Down there you spent your life dodging psycho squaddies from Gillingham Barracks at one end of the towns and sailors at Chatham dockyards at the other end, and what would come to be known as 'chavs' in the middle of the towns. Seriously, it was OPEN SEASON on punks, for no good reason at all other than the attackers stunted lives which meant they had to kick the shit out of anyone who wasn't them. Brighton was the ultimate breathe of fresh air. It only clicked one day, out of nowhere, that you were actually ALLOWED to live in a non-shit town in the UK, you didn't just have to come here on your holidays. Quite a revelation for a daft young man to work out for himself, and one I've never regretted to this day.

If there is an American Dream, then surely there is a Brighton Dream, and it's pretty much that story.

With the Richmond as some sort of mad sweaty Ellis Island.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

That's fair enough mate , but it's beyond unfair to arbitrarily decide that others reasons are less valid than yours .

Personally, I'm of the opinion that people moving down purely on the basis of property prices and commuting times will erode the soul of what made the town a bit special. Already it means that the sweet local kids who go to sixth form college here have to either a) live with their parents til they're forty b) live six to a house til they're thirty c) move somewhere really shit and commute to London. Sort of kills the town really, same as any town where the financial sector move in and splash the cash and trample over everybody else

 

[Gwylan]

Already it means that the sweet local kids who go to sixth form college here have to either a) live with their parents til they're forty b) live six to a house til they're thirty c) move somewhere really shit and commute to London.

That will be the story for most kids in the UK though - Brighton's not special in that regard

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

That will be the story for most kids in the UK though - Brighton's not special in that regard

Well you seem to be perpetuating your ignorance of the reality of Brighton property prices and associated issues that a few people called you up on in another thread, or maybe earlier in this thread. Brighton is particularly special in that regard.

 

[alfredmizen]

Personally, I'm of the opinion that people moving down purely on the basis of property prices and commuting times will erode the soul of what made the town a bit special. Already it means that the sweet local kids who go to sixth form college here have to either a) live with their parents til they're forty b) live six to a house til they're thirty c) move somewhere really shit and commute to London. Sort of kills the town really, same as any town where the financial sector move in and splash the cash.

you don't know that at all , people move to all sorts of places because they can get more for their money, not just Brighton , and they'd be pretty stupid to move to Brighton based on commuting times, it's not as if the problems with the line aren't public knowledge, as for kids living with parents due to unaffordable property prices , that also happens all over the South East , all in all, as a non brightonian with your views I think you've got a bit of a cheek !!

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

all in all, as a non brightonian with your views I think you've got a bit of a cheek !!

I've lived here since 1980. If that makes me a non brightonian, meh, who gives a shit, I'll live with that

 

[alfredmizen]

I've lived here since 1980. If that makes me a non brightonian, meh, who gives a shit, I'll live with that

You'll have to , I know plenty of brightonians who'll tell you the same.

 

[Buzzer]

Commuting to London from Brighton is difficult? Nah, I've been doing it for years and it's easy-peasy when the trains run on time which for me on the Thameslink line is, give or take the 10 minutes delays a few times a week, is what happens. Granted it's a 90 minute journey but you can get from Brighton to London Bridge, Kings Cross or Victoria directly every day. Occasionally there are delays and it can be wearing but it's far from difficult. I work with people who come in from Richmond and sometimes they can take an hour.

I also disagree about house prices not being silly in Brighton. My next door neighbour's house sold this year for £330k. And that's for a 2 bedroom terrace with a postage stamp sized back garden and no front garden. That's just silly prices.

I've lived here over 20 years and used to love living in Brighton but what's doing it for me are the street-drinkers, the litter, the permanent roadworks around the town and the utter crapness of Brighton Council. Every time I go back to my hometown of Worthing, it feels friendlier, more relaxed, cleaner and finally, finally it looks like there are places to go of an evening and nice pubs and restaurants springing up around town. I may well move back and then just pop into Brighton as and when I want to.

Something seriously needs to be done about the street drinking in Brighton. Any given day at the Clock Tower or on the Level or around St Peters Church or St James Street there's trouble. It's bloody horrible. They're bloody horrible.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

You'll have to , I know plenty of brightonian said who'll tell you the same.

Um, OK, not sure what that actually means. Tho I'll fight to the death for your right to say it. We're like that in Brighton. Or at least we used to be.

 

[Hotchilidog]

I like to think I moved to Brighton for the right reasons. In fact I KNOW I did. The reasons were nothing to do with shrewd swivel-eyed acountancy comparisons of property prices and commuting times. I moved down from the Medway Towns - in 1980 - because, as a punk, I'd spent the previous four years coming down to Brighton to watch fantastic punk gigs in absolute safety. Punk gigs were officially banned in the Medway Towns by the council. Down there you spent your life dodging psycho squaddies from Gillingham Barracks at one end of the towns and sailors at Chatham dockyards at the other end, and what would come to be known as 'chavs' in the middle of the towns. Seriously, it was OPEN SEASON on punks, for no good reason at all other than the attackers stunted lives which meant they had to kick the shit out of anyone who wasn't them. Brighton was the ultimate breathe of fresh air. It only clicked one day, out of nowhere, that you were actually ALLOWED to live in a non-shit town in the UK, you didn't just have to come here on your holidays. Quite a revelation for a daft young man to work out for himself, and one I've never regretted to this day. Brighton - despite the DFLs - remains a FANTASTIC place to live. IMHO, like.

One of my favourite posts ever on NSC!