[Brighton] Would you move back to Brighton?

[Perfidious Albion]

I'd be far more tempted by Eastbourne in truth. Cheaper housing and every time I go there it seems a great place to live, and just a short hop to Brighton.

There is a lot in that.. we could not afford Brighton when we came back the home area so we settled in Eastbourne. It’s a decent town with a beach, I know it is not Brighton, but it is not too far away, and has shed its old fogey image....We are too old to enjoy living in Brighton anyway.

 

[Jimmy Grimble]

I’ll echo the comments of the (mostly) younger posters on this thread.

If you’ve still got a bit of youth in you then Brighton and Hove is a fantastic place to live.

The eat out to help out scheme has only reinforced my view of that. It’s easy to forget just how many good restaurants, bars and pubs there are here.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Surely Valencia is close enough to the UK for you to pop back for a long weekend once a month if you want. See family / go to the pub / watch the Albion / cool down your balls.

I moved here to NZ in Oct 2016 and its really not possible to do that so i have been thinking what it would be like to come home permanently. I always said things would have to take a pretty bad turn to my life in New Zealand to up sticks and come home. Well it did!! In December my wife very suddenly and unexpectedly died. I have no family or really good friends here so its just me and my 13 year old girl. Its a real struggle in every way and we may yet be forced to come home even when we dont want to. My daughter certainly wants to stay and thats keeping me here for now although i miss family and friends a lot.

Guess I would take your time over making any decision as others have said.

That is an awful situation to be in. When life gets rough, it’s family & friends who help us get through it. I can understand your daughter wanting to stay.
Whatever happens, I hope it turns out to best the best thing for both of you.

 

[The Clamp]

Shoreham has already disappeared up its own arse, sadly.

Happened very quickly too. One year it’s a lovely ramshackle little seaside town with crooked paths by the river and not a yoga mat to be seen.
Next thing you know it’s all babychino’s and cockapoo’s.

 

[Live by the sea]

I agree , horrendous situation for Dannyboy . You can in theory live anywhere but being near close friends is very important I would have thought in your situation. I wish you And your daughter all the best in whatever you decide .

 

[Live by the sea]

Happened very quickly too. One year it’s a lovely ramshackle little seaside town with crooked paths by the river and not a yoga mat to be seen.
Next thing you know it’s all babychino’s and cockapoo’s.

Gentrification is a good thing . Makes people want to live and invest in an area . As long as it’s not the likes of Bovis homes building lots of modern soulless glorified housing estates for people to live in .

 

[Rodney Thomas]

Whereabouts?

I love Greece, but must be the only person who doesn't particularly like Athens.

Metro is good (thanks to the Olympics) but it's busy, stupidly hot in summer, very dirty and those who man about graffiti in Brighton better not go there!

Athens

But I love that city. You make valid points but personally I feel like it's a bit misunderstood. I don't believe it is dirty but just lacks the typical infrastructure, like decent pavements and trimmed trees, of other European cities (granted the graffiti is ugly but it doesn't bother me - except graffiti tourists, they can **** off). To me it is a complete jungle that is unlike anywhere else in Europe, it never seams to sleep (especially in the summer), the people are friendly and welcoming, you can get lost walking between two streets, or stumble across a cafe garden that is as quite as a library.

But then I realise that all this is subjective and I've had the luxury of multiple visits and being show round by locals. I can definitely see why someone visiting for the first time, only visiting the centre, would view it in the way you have.

Out of interest, where would you move to in Greece if you had the chance?

 

[The Clamp]

Gentrification is a good thing . Makes people want to live and invest in an area .

Shoreham was fine. Close to Brighton and Worthing, direct links to London. It was hardly on its knees. Why does it all of a sudden need the river lined with Benidorm style apartment blocks and it’s green spaces filled up with cheap housing estates?

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Athens

But I love that city. You make valid points but personally I feel like it's a bit misunderstood. I don't believe it is dirty but just lacks the typical infrastructure, like decent pavements and trimmed trees, of other European cities (granted the graffiti is ugly but it doesn't bother me - except graffiti tourists, they can **** off). To me it is a complete jungle that is unlike anywhere else in Europe, it never seams to sleep (especially in the summer), the people are friendly and welcoming, you can get lost walking between two streets, or stumble across a cafe garden that is as quite as a library.

But then I realise that all this is subjective and I've had the luxury of multiple visits and being show round by locals. I can definitely see why someone visiting for the first time, only visiting the centre, would view it in the way you have.

Out of interest, where would you move to in Greece if you had the chance?

I agree with you. I have friends who live in Athens in the Neu Filadelphia district. Like any big city, there are run down areas, and good bits. The Greeks are great with hospitality and very friendly. I love visiting but wouldn’t choose to live there permanently.

 

[GOM]

Shoreham was fine. Close to Brighton and Worthing, direct links to London. It was hardly on its knees. Why does it all of a sudden need the river lined with Benidorm style apartment blocks and it’s green spaces filled up with cheap housing estates?

Because more housing is needed, but preferably not in your back yard.

 

[BN41Albion]

Because more housing is needed, but preferably not in your back yard.

People forget that at one time the house they live in was on green, open land.

Do agree about the identikit apartment blocks though, but they're cheaper to build and house more people (and can look great if they have a bit of individual design about them - unfortunately often not though)

 

[blue-shifted]

Shoreham was fine. Close to Brighton and Worthing, direct links to London. It was hardly on its knees. Why does it all of a sudden need the river lined with Benidorm style apartment blocks and it’s green spaces filled up with cheap housing estates?

Because 10 -15 years ago Shoreham had nothing going for it for a young person or family to be in. An ageing seaside resort isn't necessarily unpleasant, but economically it's unhealthy. Shoreham now has a much broader age profile. This means more money from business rates to pay for things like the bridge and pedestrianisation projects which are making the town a way more pleasant place to be than it was 15 years ago.

 

[blue-shifted]

People forget that at one time the house they live in was on green, open land.

Do agree about the identikit apartment blocks though, but they're cheaper to build and house more people (and can look great if they have a bit of individual design about them - unfortunately often not though)

Yes mate. Incredible how people continually fail to identify this

 

[Live by the sea]

Shoreham was fine. Close to Brighton and Worthing, direct links to London. It was hardly on its knees. Why does it all of a sudden need the river lined with Benidorm style apartment blocks and it’s green spaces filled up with cheap housing estates?

I completely agree about the housing estates . I was thinking more about the better shopping & more restaurants opening . New build apartment blocks is a difficult one , I certainly think a lot more care should be put into the design to make them look attractive, they should where possible all have balconies: outside space and parking . Also think the floor plans are usually quite small , they need to be built bigger and developers should be forced to sell at least 20% at a discount to key services like nurses, ambulance staff , police, fire fighters etc . Not affordable housing as such but 25% discount for certain highly trained essential services .

Big open entrance lobbies and less hard landscaping will make the buildings look more attractive and be better I suspect for peoples well being .

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

Athens

But I love that city. You make valid points but personally I feel like it's a bit misunderstood. I don't believe it is dirty but just lacks the typical infrastructure, like decent pavements and trimmed trees, of other European cities (granted the graffiti is ugly but it doesn't bother me - except graffiti tourists, they can **** off). To me it is a complete jungle that is unlike anywhere else in Europe, it never seams to sleep (especially in the summer), the people are friendly and welcoming, you can get lost walking between two streets, or stumble across a cafe garden that is as quite as a library.

But then I realise that all this is subjective and I've had the luxury of multiple visits and being show round by locals. I can definitely see why someone visiting for the first time, only visiting the centre, would view it in the way you have.

Out of interest, where would you move to in Greece if you had the chance?

Chania/Hania/Xania or Rethimo, both in Western Crete.

The latter of these is smaller, but a University town and has a wonderful old town centre.

Back to Athens - I agree about the people - and the fact it never sleeps. I was lucky enough to spend some time there in the winter and stayed with my (Cretan) Greek friends who spend their winters in Athens - you're right that there is so much more to Athens than the centre - it's a vast city (and easy to get lost in!!)

 

[The Clamp]

Because more housing is needed, but preferably not in your back yard.

Yawn.

No added infrastructure to cope, huge pressure on an already overloaded route and fundamentally changes the character of the area.

If you think a load of overpriced, poorly built luxury riverside apartments are going to help where it’s required, you simply don’t know what you’re talking about.

They are being built because the council want the council tax and so give developers permission to build anywhere and everywhere with not thought to how the area will cope with the influx of people.

Not in my back yard. That’s a lazy, poorly informed argument.

 

[mikeyjh]

Because 10 -15 years ago Shoreham had nothing going for it for a young person or family to be in. An ageing seaside resort isn't necessarily unpleasant, but economically it's unhealthy. Shoreham now has a much broader age profile. This means more money from business rates to pay for things like the bridge and pedestrianisation projects which are making the town a way more pleasant place to be than it was 15 years ago.

Shoreham isn't and has never been a 'seaside resort' - You say it's much more pleasant than it was 15 years ago, I'm not sure how one measures that - There are far fewer pubs, that's not a great thing! The amount of traffic passing around and through Shoreham is stifling, it's grid lock some of the time, that has massively increased since we moved there in 2005, it is so noticeable. I still have a great soft spot for the town and love visiting but I could not move back there, development continues, I guess the Ikea is coming, it's really become another part of the big Brighton-Worthing-Littlehampton connurbation. I recognise progress must happen but I'm quite happy to be out of this little bit of it....

 

[GOM]

Yawn.

No added infrastructure to cope, huge pressure on an already overloaded route and fundamentally changes the character of the area.

If you think a load of overpriced, poorly built luxury riverside apartments are going to help where it’s required, you simply don’t know what you’re talking about.

They are being built because the council want the council tax and so give developers permission to build anywhere and everywhere with not thought to how the area will cope with the influx of people.

Not in my back yard. That’s a lazy, poorly informed argument.

Yawn

 

[Rodney Thomas]

Chania/Hania/Xania or Rethimo, both in Western Crete.

The latter of these is smaller, but a University town and has a wonderful old town centre.

Back to Athens - I agree about the people - and the fact it never sleeps. I was lucky enough to spend some time there in the winter and stayed with my (Cretan) Greek friends who spend their winters in Athens - you're right that there is so much more to Athens than the centre - it's a vast city (and easy to get lost in!!)

Xania is probably my favourite town outside of Athens. No idea what it is like in the winter there but I am sure it retains some of its life (unlike other islands). Ignorantly, I always thought Rethimo was just a tourist town and didn't know about the university/old town.

Back to Athens, I have also been lucky in where I have spent much of my time. Not in the really wealthy suburbs like Kifisia and Glyfada but in very nice areas next to Himitos for walks, with parks, and lovely local cafes. The cost of living is also cheaper than most Eruopean capitals and to be so close to Piraeus and the islands for off season breaks is something I am really looking forward to.

Back tot he actual question, I have come to terms with the fact that I will probably earn less in Athens but it also offers me and my family so much that other places don't. For me, living in Brighton or the UK would enable me to earn more but what am I going to spend it on, holidays to Greece? One realisation I have had recently is that it it is fine to say: i am happy with my life right now and I don't need more. It is something I have always struggled with, this urge that I need more of something in my life. I guess what I am trying to say is a move back to Brighton might be chasing that 'something more' feeling.

 

[The Clamp]

Yawn

So we just keep building up an area without the infrastructure to cope? This model of development is unsustainable.