GF just got a job offer from an old colleague to either go back to London to start up a new office or go work in Brighton. We left London a year ago after 8years to set up a real home out in the coutryside in Ireland, but sinse then the econmic downturn has left me unemployed and her stuck in a job she hates. I am struggling to get a bar job for the summer but was hoping to go back to uni in the autumn and see out the recession as a student (not got onto the course yet). I really dont want to go back to london, although i have family and friends there, I had just had enough of the place, so that only really leaves Brighton, and I have only been there a couple of times for beers.

As I am unemployed I dont get too much of a say in this and I am likely to have to move, but we have been here a year, I am really enjoying it here, spent a year making new mates as i didnt know anyone when i arrived (she is from here so her mates are all dotted around locally). I dont really want to have the upheaval of moving back, but i guess that is just me being a bit selfish

So what is brighton like? Biking is OK i guess? There are a few on here from Brighton aren’t there? I will need to get a job too, so are there any jobs around (in Structural Engineering)?

South Downs practically on your doorstep for riding.
Lots of nice bars, cafes, restaurants and stuff.
London prices for everything though – houses, food, drink, the lot.
Only hour from London by rail if you needed to commute.

Sea in front of me, Downs behind me and a city that’s got something for everyone. And I’ve got a six mile commute to work more than five miles of which is off road. I travel a lot for work all over the world and I’m always happy to come back here. I don’t think you’ll find that many people who don’t like living here.

Lot’s of nice singletrack, if you know where to look 😉

loved brighton – wish i could move back there. riding is pretty good- it is eacy to get out of the city, even for a quick blast (check out the trailguide on this site). lifestyle is more chilled than most cities but it also has lots to do as it is a city. be warned that jobs in brighton can be lower paid than elsewhere as there are generally more people than jobs (this was a graduate thing, don’t know if that would be the case in your instance)

I just want to know who it was on the new Spesh Enduro outside the station this afternoon……don’t like those white shoes!

A really nice place, Brighton. Laid back, nice bars etc the only big problem is, property is London prices, salaries aren’t!

CFH, do I know you from another, greener site perhaps?
Apologies if mistaken.

Just take a look at any Mint Sauce cartoon from Mr Burt to get a feel of what the riding is like in Brighton.

Brighton is AMAZING! If I didn’t have to be in (and love) London, I’d pick it over anywhere else in UK. Good vibes fill the streets, many benefits of a big city plus many of a small town. If in doubt, check it out for a few days.

It’s crap, stay in Ireland :O)

(honest, nothing to see down here, no hills, no riding and no good beer)

Brighton is great, but there are small caveats.

There is very little work in Brighton, as it all tends to be in London. What work there is, even if it’s white collar work, is very poorly paid, and as others have said, prices are not much different from London.

I also found Brighton to take itself just a little bit too seriously – it is a great place, and as a result it has started to believe its own hype. I found much better customer service in London, as opposed to Brighton – I thought the situation would be reversed.

But overall, far worse places in the world that you could be.

There are quite a few structural engineering practices in Brighton given the size of the place. It’s the only place I considered outside of London.

Surfing is also (sometimes)possible 😀

I also found Brighton to take itself just a little bit too seriously – it is a great place, and as a result it has started to believe its own hype.

Agreed.
Bristol is nicer IMO, more friendly and laid back, in the best “Ooo-Arr my love” west country tradition!
😀

As is said it’s very much London by the sea. Riding to it a month or so ago, coming in over the very attractice Devil’s Dyke route and into a very busy, dense sort of a place was really depressing for me!

i’m with tim.

its crap dont come.

there are a few engineering firms but you’ll be hard pushed to find a local firm recruting at present. if i was you i’d go contract in london on a temporary basis untill the market picks up.

either that or dig some new trails and get a bar job on the beach.

I like Brighton alot. Its one of only a a couple of places I would move down from Scotland to.

I love Brighton but wouldn’t want to live there as its just too expensive, fueled by lots of London workers living there.

I moved down here from Surrey 9 yrs ago and could have lived in Brighton but opted for Worthing instead. Its a bit cheaper to live in which means you can do more with your cash. The local riding is just as good if not better as Hummerlicious says if you know where to look and its only 15 mins on the train from the centre of Brighton for shopping, resturants etc etc.

FWIW my advice would be to live near to but not in Brighton that way you can get the benefits of what is a great city without so many of the drawbacks.

What PeterPoddy said. I’ve visited a few times and would quite happily visit again but live there? No, I don’t think so…very true about it believing its own hype. Prices are shocking there considering how far it is from London…and it’s full of ex-Londoners, talking about how they could have made it big but just “…had to get out of the city, yaw…”.

Come to Bristol TimP…much nicer here. I’ll take you and the missus out for a few beers.

It’s true that it is expensive, mainly caused by the amount of people who have moved from London in the last 20 years. That has also led to it being less diverse than it used to be. I blame the improvements in the trains which have made commuting less painful than it used to be. Still a good place to live though, less than an hour from London and for me it’s good to be near enough to the 2 largest airports. If you want good beer try some Harveys which is brewed nearby in Lewes. Property prices are a bit more reasonable on the outskirts, I live about 6 miles from the centre of town and you could probably add 30 – 40% to the value of it if it were central.