HOW IT RATES

After a couple of centuries as London’s playground, this seaside city knows how to host a good time. A relaxed feel, an array of amusements and a sense of community make it one of the UK’s most desirable places to live.

ARCHITECTURAL GEMS

Various Regency signatures adorn the Brighton and Hove seafront; lamp posts are carved with ornate, mock-oriental fish and the sweeping terraces have stucco balconies and creamy paintwork. The jewel in its crown is the Royal Pavilion, built for the Prince Regent as a play palace when he ruled in place of George III. The decor is flamboyant and the exterior looks magical at night with its Indian-style domes lit up.

WHAT’S NEW

Karis (01273 773322) is responsible for a few new Brighton buildings, including the vast King Alfred project in Hove that is still in the planning stage.

QUALITY OF LIFE

One of the best around. The seaside location, pretty houses and liberal-minded locals attract a pleasure-seeking crowd. The community is fluid, with new faces provided by a ceaseless influx of students, travellers and young families who are looking for a place by the sea.

TRAVEL

An hour by train from London Victoria and London Bridge, and half an hour’s drive from Gatwick. Driving down the M23 from London takes you through rolling hills, past striking country houses and gets you to the South Coast in an hour and a half.

POPULATION

247,817 people live in 114,479 households in Brighton and Hove; 45% of these are single-person households, and only 0.8% are second homes. There are 20,573 students.

SMARTEST STREETS

Marine Parade is the seafront of Kemp Town; two miles of Regency terraces and crescents. It ends by Lewes Crescent, Sussex Square, and the gated Sussex Gardens, with its tunnel leading to the beach. Esplanade (it has a private beach), plus Palmeira Square and Brunswick Square.

RESTAURANTS

Gingerman at Drakes does very high-class food with a sense of fun on Marine Parade. One Paston Place is highly regarded in Kemp Town, especially for pudding. Terre à Terre does surprisingly delicious vegetarian haute cuisine, and Krakatoa is a charming little Thai near the Palace Pier.

NIGHTLIFE

The Hop Poles is a cosy pub in the South Lanes with animal sculptures made from hubcaps on the ceiling. The Hanbury Ballroom is an old mausoleum, now a restaurant, bar and palatial venue for jazz and indie music, with a stained-glass dome ceiling. Theatre Royal on New Road is now offering Bargain (a fictional account of Robert Maxwell’s fabled meeting with Mother Teresa) and has a lovely little bar.

EDUCATION

Roedean, on the cliffs just east of the city, is a famed boarding school for girls. Sussex University is highly respected, as is Brighton University’s Faculty of Arts and Architecture.

WORKING LIFE

Unemployment is at 3.6%. About 11% of people are retired; 27% work in public services; 23% work in business and financial services and 17% are self-employed.

UPSIDE

The strong hippie presence makes the population very ecologically aware. Lifestyle luxuries abound, with practically every third person claiming to be a masseur. A haven for natural therapies, fused with the kitsch British seaside and the camp of a thriving gay scene, makes it easygoing and open-minded. The Palace Pier is a great sight in winter storms and crowded Bank Holidays.

DOWNSIDE

Although friendly, the community is very transient as students and creative people move on. As a leisure town, it offers little career progression outside service industries and self-employment. Seediness accompanies the town’s hedonistic tolerance. Good for conservationists, not conservatives.

£248,094 The average property price in Brighton Source: Halifax

5% The change in house prices in Brighton over the past three months Source: Halifax

264% The change in house prices in Brighton over the past ten years Source: Halifax

2,000 The number of berths at Brighton Marina Source: visitbrighton.com

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