I'm 23 and currently in living in the US and i'm in the military. when i get out i want to move to europe. england is one of the possible places, i'd like to live. I also need to start college. so i need to be near a university. I don't like huge cities so London is out of the picture. Does anyone live, work, and/or visit Brighton? If so, i would like to hear any pros and cons on the city. Well, it's my home town, so needless to say I like it. It's very cosmopolitan, diverse and tolerant (gay capital of UK still). It pretty much has everything you could want - stacks of restaurants and bars, traditional pubs, cafes, clubs, music venues, theatres, shops, the tacky but great pier and seafront, Marina, cinemas, lots of different types of residential areas. Tons of choice for vegetarians and vegans too!! A person before mentioned "crusties with dogs on a string". Certainly about 10 years ago there was a huge problem with homelessness and you couldn't go 10 yards without being asked for "spare change". However, it's almost been eradicated (or certainly the visible side of it has). There are indeed many people of, shall we say, alternative lifestyles (they may live in a squat etc) who have dreadlocks and scruffy dogs but they certainly aren't a problem.
The only con really is the exorbitant property prices. A basic 1-bedroom flat about 15 minutes walk from the centre will set you back at least 拢130,000, and a studio flat to rent would be at least 拢500 a month if not more.
Although you say you're living in the US you don't actually say what nationality you are. If you are American you need to remember that you can't just up and move to Europe. There are immigration controls to consider. If you're applying to go to college here and were accepted then you would have to get a student visa etc. If you're going to be a student here you need to have it all set up, be accepted and fees paid before applying for the visa (at your local Embassy) and certainly before travelling over here. Obviously you can come over as a tourist for a look around and see what takes your fancy, but most universities etc have perfectly good websites so you an do loads of research before paying out for the airfare.
There are 2 unis close to Brighton - Sussex University at Falmer which is a long-established uni, and Brighton Uni which is one of the newer ones (upgraded to a Uni from a Polytechnic/College). Brighton Uni buildings are closer to Brighton itself although Falmer is only a 10 minute train ride, short bus journey or cycle ride away.
I could go on for hours about Brighton. I've lived here since I was a child, for over 30 years now and I love it. You get all kinds of people and as I said before, because of that, it's a very tolerant and laid back kind of place. I defy anyone not to enjoy it here! brightons a lovely town, tho the beach is just a pebble dash.
watch out for for crustys with dogs on strings. They used to have a pretty good WTA Women's Tennis Tournament there. Very classy. |
