The coastal city of Brighton is less than one hour away by train from central London, nestling amongst the rolling green hills of the South Downs on a quintessentially English pebble beach.

Many young Brits consider Brighton to be one of the very best places to live in the UK. This is because of the city’s success in bringing together its heritage of old-fashioned Regency splendour, flavouring it with modern bohemian culture and stylish contemporary shops, bars and hotels, then mixing it all up to create one of the most unique and vibrant urban places in Britain. Basically it’s a cool city on a beach.

Its proximity to London means that Brighton acts as a sort of weekend getaway for thousands of city folk desperate to escape for a couple of days and breathe the sea air, which results in Brighton having more funky boutique hotels, nightclubs and cocktail bars than anywhere else in the South outside of central London.

But Brighton’s attraction is that it still is a traditionally English sea-side town, and despite its phenomenal growth in recent years it retains all the old charm of a wet and windy sea-side resort. Although it is financially dependent on tourism Brighton is not a seasonal town, it is a hugely popular place to live with young families and has an enormous student population.

Brighton Beach

Brighton’s beach-front is the city’s focal point and the main reason why so many people visit each year. It is not the sort of beach you head to for a day of sunbathing (it’s neither sandy or secluded) but throughout the year you will find that the seafront is a hive of activity, with artists, street performers and musicians entertaining the  many tourists who stroll along the promenade of galleries, bars and restaurants which line the seafront. On a sunny day this is the best place for lunch.

In the evening Brighton’s beach front attracts a younger crowd of people who head to its many trendy bars and nightclubs, situated on the beach underneath the main road in the arches.

Brighton Pier

This is a fine example of a Victorian pier, you can’t miss it, a perfect place to wonder about and look out to sea whilst eating fish and chips or mini doughnuts. Always popular with children, the pier is full of the old traditional entertainments; fairground rides, games, puppet shows and chances to win prizes by performing tasks that always look much easier than they really are. If you want to have a look at how the English enjoyed their summers before cheap air travel then this is it.

The Royal Pavilion

This spectacular building is difficult to ignore, you will find yourself wondering what an Indian Palace is doing in an English sea-side town. It was built as a sea-side holiday home for William IV, widely considered the most decadent and unpopular monarchs in modern British history. When you see how extravagant this place is you will understand why.

However, today we can all benefit from William IV’s excesses as The Royal Pavilion is now open to the public. There is a wonderful tea-room overlooking the Pavilion Gardens and the exhibition halls contain both classic and contemporary works of art, along with traditional collections of furniture and silver-gilt.

The Lanes

Step off the beach, walk across the road, and you will find yourself in a maze of tiny streets and alleyways known as the Lanes.

 
This is one of Brighton’s most popular attractions, a warren of 400 year old fisherman’s cottages, now housing boutique shops, antique jewellery, galleries, vintage clothing, ancient pubs and modern restaurants. It is the home of everything from the obvious to the obscure. A treasure trove of fun and trinkets.

North Laine

Connected to the Lanes this area is also known as Brighton’s cultural quarter, a bundle of intersecting and overlapping streets containing over 300 unique shops and galleries. It’s one of the biggest collections of independent retailers in the country packed into less than half a square mile.

Kemp Town

The 18th century Regency architecture of Kemp Town, its pretty squares and imposing buildings, give the area its own, very distinctive, feel.
The whole area is a thriving mix of independent shops, from organic delis to vintage design, and its bohemian village atmosphere attracts lots of fashionable young people, particularly at weekends.

Kemp Town is also home to Brighton’s gay scene, one of the biggest and well-established in the whole country, so you will find an array of shops and bars along the High Street that cater for the gay and lesbian community.

The whole area stretches from the east of the city towards Brighton Marina and has an incredibly laid back feel about it; it’s the perfect spot for some casual shopping and a good coffee. This area is also the place to find some of England’s best boutique hotels, small independent guest houses with hedonistic designer bedrooms and funky cocktail bars in the basements.

Entertainment

Whatever you are looking for you will find it in Brighton, whether its live music, cabaret, theatre, stand-up or just a pub with a great atmosphere, there are venues all across the areas listed above which will cater for your tastes, whatever they might be.

One of the great things about Brighton is that its city centre is relatively small, so walking around and discovering all of these places is easy. Some of the larger venues, and the most popular, can be found on Brighton’s sea front, but these are not necessarily the best, so you might want to take a walk around the Lanes or up to Kemp Town to soak up some more of the authentic local atmosphere.

Brighton holds regular festivals throughout the summer, comedy, music and art are all given space for expression on the sea-front; most of them require that you buy tickets in advance so it’s a good idea to keep up-to-date with what’s happening by visiting Brighton’s own website if you are planning your trip in advance. Otherwise just do what everyone else does, go for a wander and talk to the locals.