[Brighton] Does anyone live at the Marina? (in a flat rather than on a boat)

[herecomesaregular]

I've lived in Brighton for 25 years now, firstly owned a one bed flat in 7 Dials (well before it was poshed up a bit) and now a 2 bed between Preston Park and Dyke Road. I appreciate the Marina is an ugly development and has dull restaurants but I've always fancied living there. I don't drive so having an large food superstore, cinema (love a trip to the cinema still me), gym and car boot on the doorstep, plus some nice views appeals. But I've never spoken to anyone who actually lives/has lived there!

 

[Algernon]

23 years ago I visited one of the apartments in the marina for one night only to boff some fine young thing.
All I heard through the early morning was the sound of rigging clanging against mast.


Which I find very soothing along with the sound of screeching seagulls.
Oh and the apartment was very nice. That's all I can contribute.

 

[Algernon]

And there definitely used to be a NSC member on here who owned a flat down there but I'm uncertain whether he's still on here. I don't know his username or I'd @whatever him.

 

[HeaviestTed]

My mother in law used to live at the marina.

Two things stood out, 1) she could hear the man upstairs pissing into his toilet. 2) she was on the front and people would stop and stare into their house, sometimes even point.

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

Be wary of paying harbour fees on top of regular service charges, regardless of whether you own a boat or not.

 

[The Clamp]

As mentioned, you’ll be kept awake all year round by the noise of the mast whipping.

I have stayed in a mates apartment for a couple of weeks so no long term experience.

My opinion of the Marina overall?

Nice place to visit for an afternoon once in a while, pretty creepy place to live I should think.

 

[Stumpy Tim]

And there definitely used to be a NSC member on here who owned a flat down there but I'm uncertain whether he's still on here. I don't know his username or I'd @whatever him.

I lived there 20 years ago as a 26 year old. I really liked it for the reasons given. Back then the hotel wasn't there though. It certainly had its advantages

 

[Live by the sea]

I've lived in Brighton for 25 years now, firstly owned a one bed flat in 7 Dials (well before it was poshed up a bit) and now a 2 bed between Preston Park and Dyke Road. I appreciate the Marina is an ugly development and has dull restaurants but I've always fancied living there. I don't drive so having a large food superstore, cinema (love a trip to the cinema still me), gym and car boot on the doorstep, plus some nice views appeals. But I've never spoken to anyone who actually lives/has lived there!

It’s quite noisy at night with boy racers and it’s also very windy . Because there’s so much development flat prices of older developments there don’t seem to go up much and there is also quite high maintenance to pay .

Nice views but that bit too far out really unless you fancy a walk along the dual carriageway .

Personally I wouldn’t buy at the marina , it’s not a good investment and the lifestyle is far nicer in places like central Hove or parts of Preston park etc where you can walk to lots of coffee shops and restaurants and obviously the seafront in Hove whereby the marina is mainly full of soulless chain eateries .

Many of whom have shut down since covid .

Lots of flats there are rented over the last few years on mass by developers so doesn’t even have the community it used to have .

So all in all , best avoided .

 

[The Clamp]

It’s basically like any slightly out of town complex. Cinema, bowling. Chain restaurants etc
But it’s by the sea and they have flats. Other than that I reckon it’d be like living at Crawley Bowl or dossing down in an airport.

Soulless.

 

[Live by the sea]

It’s basically like any slightly out of town complex. Cinema, bowling. Chain restaurants etc
But it’s by the sea and they have flats. Other than that I reckon it’d be like living at Crawley Bowl or dossing down in an airport.

Soulless.

I think you have hit the nail on the head . No real community either since the developers have rented out some of the newer apartment buildings on mass .

The few flats I’ve seen have felt quite claustrophobic as well . I’m sure there are bigger ones but a lot are small ,

Looking at alternatives there’s currently a 2 bed flat in a block at st Catherine’s terrace which is close to Hove lawns and all the facilities of church road , by the beach etc 2 beds with a balcony on at £300k that is probably cheaper than the marina and much better location .

 

[herecomesaregular]

It’s quite noisy at night with boy racers and it’s also very windy . Because there’s so much development flat prices of older developments there don’t seem to go up much and there is also quite high maintenance to pay .

Nice views but that bit too far out really unless you fancy a walk along the dual carriageway .

Personally I wouldn’t buy at the marina , it’s not a good investment and the lifestyle is far nicer in places like central Hove or parts of Preston park etc where you can walk to lots of coffee shops and restaurants and obviously the seafront in Hove whereby the marina is mainly full of soulless chain eateries .

Many of whom have shut down since covid .

Lots of flats there are rented over the last few years on mass by developers so doesn’t even have the community it used to have .

So all in all , best avoided .

You've lived there? (I've got an opinion of the place having visited many times but was mostly interested in a view from a resident).

 

[Weststander]

I visited one of the flats years ago to meet clients, in one of the blocks built in the 80’s. It was cramped imho, featureless and being virtually at sea level you don’t get any view. You could be in any low rise modern block in the country.

The modern tower block would interest me more. I was told when it being built that rich Chinese/HK snapped them up off plan as investments. We knew one of these families, they used it as a bolthole when collecting/dropping off their Roedean school daughter 6 times a year.

 

[Rogero]

See if there an Air B and B and try it.

 

[zefarelly]

Swerve

a mate rented there a while early mid 90's, like most builds of the late 80's and 90's. You can hear an ant farting 2 rooms away. if its a leashold, I'd avoid like the plague.

it's hardly a good location. But that's personal.

 

[Surf's Up]

Rented there for 6 months when I came back from working abroad as it was easy to rent, had basic facilities within easy reach and was therefore convenient while we looked for somewhere more permanent. The Clamp is correct when he describes it as soulless. Also the buildings and flats were dull and unimaginatively designed by Barrett (surprise surprise) in the first place and by and large they haven't aged well. Yes you've got David Lloyd, Asda, constantly changing cos by and large they're crap shops, a few mediocre restaurants and a residential demographic that averages the wrong side of 80. So, useful for a short stay but any longer and you're into "the Prisoner" territory.

 

[BN9 BHA]

You've lived there? (I've got an opinion of the place having visited many times but was mostly interested in a view from a resident).

@Live by the sea is our very own Phil Spencer and Kirsty Allsop rolled into one, from reading his posts on here I would say he knows the local property market.

An Albion fan I know used to live in the Marina a few years back told me it has a fair few Air B&B rental properties and it’s noisy.

 

[Weststander]

Swerve

a mate rented there a while early mid 90's, like most builds of the late 80's and 90's. You can hear an ant farting 2 rooms away. if its a leashold, I'd avoid like the plague.

it's hardly a good location. But that's personal.

Very true, new builds and conversions up to 2003 had next to no acoustic insulation.

But the new tower block should’ve had stringent Part E building reg’s imposed during its construction.

 

[BN9 BHA]

Rented there for 6 months when I came back from working abroad as it was easy to rent, had basic facilities within easy reach and was therefore convenient while we looked for somewhere more permanent. The Clamp is correct when he describes it as soulless. Also the buildings and flats were dull and unimaginatively designed by Barrett (surprise surprise) in the first place and by and large they haven't aged well. Yes you've got David Lloyd, Asda, constantly changing cos by and large they're crap shops, a few mediocre restaurants and a residential demographic that averages the wrong side of 80. So, useful for a short stay but any longer and you're into "the Prisoner" territory.

Built by Barrett would definitely put me off.
I’ve worked doing maintenance on some of the older flats and would not want to live there.

 

[Weststander]

Rented there for 6 months when I came back from working abroad as it was easy to rent, had basic facilities within easy reach and was therefore convenient while we looked for somewhere more permanent. The Clamp is correct when he describes it as soulless. Also the buildings and flats were dull and unimaginatively designed by Barrett (surprise surprise) in the first place and by and large they haven't aged well. Yes you've got David Lloyd, Asda, constantly changing cos by and large they're crap shops, a few mediocre restaurants and a residential demographic that averages the wrong side of 80. So, useful for a short stay but any longer and you're into "the Prisoner" territory.

But apart from that … it’s okay.

 

[dejavuatbtn]

See if there an Air B and B and try it.

But don’t buy near it!