When I approached Lauren to ask her if she’d like me to guest post, it (almost) automatically sprung to my mind that I absolutely have to write about Brighton. Brighton is my favourite city in the world to visit, and whilst I haven’t exactly scoured the globe, I’m pretty confident that it will stay a firm favourite no matter where I go. But why?
Brighton is a place where I can guarantee I will hear, or see something different. Something I’ve never heard or seen before. Coming from someone who would stroll the Laines daily during breaks from college, this is no exaggeration.
From the new independent shops that pop up, to the lively (and sometimes bizarre) street entertainment, Brighton has this real buzz to it that has me considering whether to one day move there. That is of course once I win the lottery, as to live in central Brighton is pricy, to say the least! I’ve heard Brighton referred to as ‘London by the sea’ before, and I have to admit that I disagree. The handful of times I’ve been to London I have always become stressed by the hustle and bustle, the noise and just the general atmosphere there.
Don’t get me wrong, the occasional trip to the capital is great, but it’s hardly a city I’d want to visit on a regular basis. In London there is too much to see, whilst in Brighton it’s just right. If you’ve never been to the city, I highly recommend it. You really need to stay there for a weekend at least to take in everything though. Unfortunately the one time I did this, it poured down with rain from start to end, but I’d definitely go again…just maybe not in November.
I’ve got a few recommendations if you do ever stop by for a visit…
The Pier
Anyone actually from Brighton is probably sighing heavily right now, but if you’ve never been before you really should go for a stroll along the pier. It’s the typical touristy thing to do, but you’ll have fun…I promise.
The Laines
If you visit Brighton and only cover the Churchill Square area then you’re doing it wrong. The Laines are where all the great shops are – for quirky gifts, beautiful clothes and so much more!
My personal highlights are Jaba Yard for gorgeous clothing you won’t find in H&M and Topshop, Evolution for gorgeous gifts, and Dave’s comics for all your comics goodness. Oh, and the sanctuary that is Beyond Retro…which I actually only discovered the last time I visited!
FOOD!
I have to admit my guilt here that most of the restaurants I’ve dined in here are chains. Shame on me! However, for my birthday a few years ago we went along to the Giggling Squid for some classic Thai cuisine, and it was heavenly.
It’s not just the sit down restaurants that boast the good stuff though – the last time I took a trip I sampled my first gluten free brownie which I bought from a café that were selling cakes on the street. It was also heavenly.
So, I’ve gushed about Brighton a bit (ok, a lot…), and I hope you’ve enjoyed it, maybe even nodded along to it or bought your train tickets to get there.
Thank you Lauren for having me, and can’t wait for baby number two to make an appearance!
A HUGE thank you to Cat for writing such a lovely post about my favourite city for me to help me keep the blog going whilst I am otherwise engaged! You can find her blog and ways to interact with her below!
