"Brighton Rocks !" a Brighton Travel Page by amapola66

I love Brighton. This is where I live with the 'Little Rock Chic' (fast becoming bigger!) in our little blue house on the hill - and, in my (not so?) humble opinion, it's the best place to live in the UK if you are a parent as it offers city life, hills and countryside and of course, the sea! Trains to London are direct and it is half an hour to Gatwick aiport and 20 mins by car to the ferry at Newhaven..

I run my own piano school for children teaching many of the talented small people of our city and also play and record with Hush Collector .

When you are in Brighton, there is alot to do - Stroll along the sea front, grab something tasty from a delli or some cockles and shrimp from a stall and pull up a deck chair (weather permitting!). Go gift shopping for something weird and wonderful to take home in the North Lanes. Have a picnic on the downs, or visit a local exhibition. You can treat yourself to a cocktail before a night out at one of our many venues and generally enjoy yourself (Yes, it's true!)

Most things are walkable and cabs are reliable (and all registered), you can be safely back home in around 5 mins after a night out.

We also have many festivals & gigs in the park, including the rapidly growing Brighton Festival in the spring, the hugely fun Gay Pride and various other music festivals throughout the year.

I have tried to include tips on places that I hang out in myself, rather than just the standard tourist stuff, although I have covered some of those aspects too. Hopefully you will find something that grabs your attention that you may not have discovered on other pages.

Summary - Relaxed and friendly with a slightly more Euopean type culture and something for everyone, Brighton Rocks!

There are two lots of lanes :

The (historic) Lanes are close to the seafront and have alot of antiques, designer jewelry, some designer clothing stores (all rather expensive, but some nice things to be found).

However, the North Lanes (traditinally North Laine) which house more than 300 independent shops, are much more funky. Most things 'alternative' can be found here - including 'vegetarian shoes', organic food stores, unusual clothes, cd & record shops, retro gear etc There are lots of cafes and bars for every taste bud, including The George vegetarian pub where small people are welcome and Infinity Cafe (see my shopping tips). We are praying the large corporate stores don't move in and spoil the eclectic atmosphere of the North Lanes.

(N.B. I found this Brighton rocks pic on a Brighton blog, I am sorry, I can't remember the url, please let me know if it is yours, it is a fab pic!)

There is all the typical tacky side stuff and lots to do on Brighton seafront. Between the two piers, All you need to do is stroll and you will be amused by something or other going on and is especially good for smaller people.

Further along towards Hove, there is a childrens paddling pool and a volleyball pitch etc. Kids and adults can do some very high bungy style jumping near the pier too (not for me though, thanks)!

Weekends and holidays see an assortment of little stalls selling craft items and such the like, plus there are the usual British slot machine hang-outs, cafes, restaurants, bars & nightclubs galore (including the well known Honey and Zap Club), not forgetting some museums and art galleries!

I find an early morning winter stroll is always good for blowing away any unwanted cobwebs ; )

Check out my tips for Brighton and if you are visitng, please feel free to email me if you need any further info.