Find a mutual home exchange near you

What it's like to live in Brighton and Hove

Day to day, almost everything is on your doorstep. Churchill's Supermarket, Gardenia Supermarket, a Sainsbury's Local, Marks & Spencer and a Tesco Express are all within a couple of minutes' walk, plus Boots and Superdrug pharmacies.

Getting around

You can live here without a car, and plenty of people do. Brighton station is about 0.4 miles away, with London Road, Hove and Preston Park all within a couple of miles, so trains along the coast and up towards London are easy to reach on foot.

Buses are everywhere. The Clock Tower stop is right in the centre, with more at Imperial Arcade, Churchill Square and Brighton Station, so you are rarely more than a few minutes from a stop.

Walking is the real advantage. Shops, the seafront, libraries and the station are all within half a mile. Driving is the weak point: central Brighton is congested, parking is tight and costly, and a car can feel more trouble than help.

Schools and family life

Families in central BN1 have primary schools close by. Middle Street Primary School is about 0.1 miles away, with St Pauls C of E School, St Mary Magdalen's Catholic Primary & Nursery School and Carlton Hill Primary School all within half a mile.

For older children, Cardinal Newman Catholic School and Sixth Form College is around 1.1 miles away, with Dorothy Stringer School, Varndean High School and Hove Park Nevill Campus between 1.7 and 2 miles. Most are a bus ride or a decent walk uphill.

Green space is small-scale rather than sprawling. Clarence Square, Russell Square and St Nicholas Rest Garden are all close, and there is a wheelchair-accessible beach area nearby. The beach itself does a lot of the work here.

Things to do

This is the part of Brighton people visit for. Jubilee Library is a couple of minutes away, along with Brighton library and, a little further, St Peter's House Library at the University of Brighton.

Film is well served. ODEON Brighton and Dukes at Komedia Picturehouse are both within a quarter of a mile, Duke of York's Picturehouse is under a mile, and Fabrica sits close by too.

For exercise, PureGym Brighton Central, Unified Strength Brighton and classes like Brighton Zumba and Shaolin Kung Fu are all within a short walk.

Pubs and bars are everywhere, from The Quadrant to the Mad Dog Brewery Co. Taproom. Community life has a home too, at Community Base, the Brighthelm Centre and the Brighton & Hove Food Partnership.

Work and the local economy

Central Brighton's economy is built around shops, food, hospitality, tourism and services. Churchill Square Shopping Centre, Imperial Arcade and Dukes Lane sit within a few hundred metres, and the streets around them are full of independent businesses, cafes and bars, so retail and hospitality work is usually the most visible option.

Health and education add more. The University of Brighton has a presence nearby, and there are local health services including Practice Plus Brighton Station Health Centre and Regency Surgery.

Commuting is realistic from here. With Brighton station under half a mile away, jobs along the Sussex coast and further afield are reachable by train without needing a car.

Housing and who lives here

Central BN1 is mostly flats rather than houses. Expect period conversions, purpose-built blocks and upper-floor homes above shops, often without a garden or parking. Space tends to be tight and stairs are common, so check floor level and access carefully before you agree a swap.

The population mix is broad: students, workers in the city's shops and bars, long-standing residents and families. It is a diverse, sociable place, and neighbours are close by in every sense.

If you need outdoor space, a quiet street or somewhere to park, look at what a listing actually offers rather than assuming. Some central homes are lovely and light; others are noisy at weekends.

Everything about Brighton and Hove