PROFILE: Brighton & Hove – Britain’s Sexiest Seaside City

Cosmopolitan living by the beach, an hour from London and only minutes from some of the country’s most outstanding rural landscapes.

Brighton & Hove proudly wears its heart on its sleeve. The city may be small but it’s spirit is huge. From the quaint and rambling charm of the lanes where fishing cottages nestle happily amongst more recent developments, to the wide, tree-lined avenues of Hove and the majestic seafront Regency terraces and crescents, the city is unashamedly proud of its heritage.

Brighton & Hove is equally proud of its reputation for being one of the most creative and culturally aware places to live in the UK. For centuries, writers, artists, actors and intellectuals have chosen to make the city their home, a fact that has given rise to the city’s excitingly diverse and tolerant population.

City status granted in 1998 should not disguise the fact that Brighton & Hove is compact and easy to navigate and that despite the new title much of it retains a comfortable and almost village feel. In fact the whole quite easily breaks down into a number of self contained urban villages each with their own unique style and atmosphere. In the heart there is The Lanes, where boutiques sit side by side with residential coattges and contemporary apartments. Kemp Town is undeniably the Bohemian quarter but it also boasts some of the city’s finest Regency architecture. Brunswick in Hove does the same but in a less flamboyant manner.

Outlying districts seldom attract the term suburb as each has unique qualities. Saltdean is the undisputed prince of Art Deco living, Portslade balances history and industry side by side, Rottingdean a wealth of famous historical residents...

Further out there are pretty parish churches, manor houses and historic sites, ruins, castles and stately homes. You are never far from something interesting to visit or exciting to do.

Back in the centre the city has regained its status as the country’s favourite seaside resort and once again its splendid beaches and seaside esplanades are filled with tourists and locals making the most of the superb coastal location. Fishing, boating and a wide range of water sports attract people from far and wide – and the sea is once more a popular place to swim and relax.

There are also an amazing number of leisure opportunities, from cafés and bars through restaurants, cinemas and theatres to night clubs with a truly international reputation. It might not be the city that never sleeps, but it’s not going to bed anytime early!

Above all though Brighton has retained its sense of stability. As such it is popular with families who want to raise their children in an atmosphere of excitement and fun that is balanced with tolerance and traditional values.