Student City guide: Brighton

(Wikimedia Commons)

What’s the big draw?

Often dubbed the most eccentric city in England, Brighton is one of the best places to be a student. Between the University of Sussex and Brighton University there are over 24,000 students and that’s not even including the numerous colleges around the city. The only problem with Brighton is that, like most great cities, it can be quite expensive, so here are some cost-efficient ways to have fun in this vibrant place.

Shopping

Brighton is absolutely teeming with amazing junk shops and vintage clothes stores that are great for a good bargain. Don’t be afraid to dive in and have a root around in all of the bargain buckets; you may surprise yourself with what you’ll find in there. The best place to go is The North Laines and the markets adjacent to them, although beware, there are also incredibly expensive boutiques along these roads too!

Eating

You can’t go to Brighton without having fish and chips, and the shop owners know that so they tend to jack up the prices. A good tip is to walk further along the seafront away from the town centre, plus you get to enjoy the beautiful view. They’ll be as cheap as chips if you walk far enough (pardon the pun). If mushy peas and curry sauce isn’t really your thing, there are tonnes of restaurants and cafes all throughout the centre, many of which do student deals, so remember to keep your student card on you at all times. One of the most popular student haunts is called Kensingtons, located in the middle of The North Laines. They do great student discounts and a wide range of delicious food.

Going Out

As you’d expect, Brighton is one of the best places to go out clubbing in the country. With numerous bars and clubs, you are truly spoilt for choice. From indie to jazz, trance to pop, there’s something for everyone. The biggest and most popular club amongst students is Oceana (handily situated right next door to a cinema and numerous bars), but there are many smaller and arguably nicer places to go all along the seafront. A couple of things to remember when going out, Brighton doesn’t sleep so you can go out any night of the week and it’s sure to be busy. Also wrap up warm. Going out in a skimpy dress and high heels in winter along the coast is not much fun.

Greens are hoping the Unite to Remain alliance will help them hold on to Brighton Pavilion (Wikimedia Commons)

Culture

As in most big cities there are endless galleries, theatres and museums to visit in Brighton, but they tend to be a bit pricey. However, the famous Pavillion (the Taj Mahal lookalike) is only £5 for local students and it is truly amazing. With beautiful colonial artifacts and works of art, you can while away hours in there and is even worth a repeat visit. Another great and cheap way to while away the time in Brighton is to go to the Komedia in the North Laines. Either to go to The Picture House cinema or to see live comedy, you can become a member and pay discount student rates. Trust me, it’s definitely worth it.

Seaside

Of course you can’t be in Brighton without a trip to the sea. The beautiful seafront has free wifi access on it if you can’t stay off Facebook for more than half an hour, so is a great place to sit and get work done (weather permitting). The famous pier is also free to walk along and has various stalls and games. The restaurant up there is pretty expensive, but if you walk to the very end there are noddle and rice stalls that have managed to keep their costs down, and the food is delicious!