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Not until this month did I ever visit Brighton, despite almost two years living in London in total that is just about an hour away. Perhaps I thought it would be so easy to just get a train down to the city from London that I actually put it aside over other trips that are harder to make. Now that I made a visit to Brighton, I feel a bit regretful for why I hadn’t been to this awesome place much earlier!
Yes, so I went there again after two weeks from the first trip….I think I may be in love with Brighton.
As a small note, some of the photos are from my friend Or Asawawilaswong during my first visit to Brighton with her a few weeks ago. As I was taking videos with GoPro, I asked for her permission to share her great photos with you on this post. Other photos are mine from another trip a couple of days ago. (Changing my old smartphone to Galaxy S7 is a whole new world..)
There seem three ways to go to Brighton from London by train: from St. Pancras stn., Victoria stn., and from London Bridge stn. I chose St. Pancras and London Bridge stations for the respective trips, as trains from Victoria station were more expensive. Depending on the services, it takes roughly between 50 minutes and 1.5 hours. Thameslink trains allow Oyster cards as well as normal train tickets, so if you have enough money on your Oyster Card, you don’t have to purchase a separate ticket. Just tag it on the card reader at the platform!
Now now..dry, technical explanations are more than enough. Let’s move on to the main point: THE FIVE CHARMS OF BRIGHTON I FOUND!!! I am sure there will be a lot more than just five, but the followings are the most impressive images of Brighton to me. If your images are different from my list, please do comment and let me know; I am intrigued to find out more gems in Brighton!
1. Another Shoreditch outside London
Alleys in Brighton looked like a rougher version of Shoreditch plus seagulls. Some alleys were found completely covered with graffiti while I was looking for street markets. It was very easy to encounter various styles of graffiti around alleys and streets.
At the second visit I actually saw someone marking his signature on a pole! It would have been great had I managed to see him doing artworks, although it was already quite cool to see him leaving his signature.
If you encounter any graffiti work you like strolling streets in Brighton, you can be as artsy as you want either as a model or a photographer. Or even better…be both! 😉
2. Street Markets and Pretty Little Shops
What enchanted me the most in Brighton was that it had so many different vibes. Right after you find graffiti in one alley, you may end up being in a street full of pretty little shops in pastels. I really enjoyed the soft and cosy colour tones with unique signs of shops. Decorations in the show windows are also worth a look, as they represented so much about each shop.
During the first visit to Brighton, there was a pianist with a costume at the entrance of a street market. It was rather cute to watch the flapping ears according to the upbeat melody. Although I didn’t see him again this time, in another street there was a duo whose song sounded sweet.
This is the sweetest and the cutest ice-cream shop I have seen so far! When I went to Brighton first time it was still bit chilly and grey. Especially because this shop was on the way to the beach where it could be quite blowy depending on the weather I couldn’t try the ice-cream then. To make up for it, I had to have a photo of myself as proof of falling in love with the shop…but something wasn’t fulfilled.
Yes, not surprisingly, I eventually had the ice-cream during my second visit on last Saturday as it was like more proper summer! I nearly thought I wouldn’t be able to have it this time as well on my way to the beach; but fortunately the weather got warmer and sunnier enough to grab one from the shop. Fyi, a scoop of an ice-cream was £2.40. Great tastes, various flavours, sweet interior, kind staff…what’s not to like. ♥
3. Never-Ending Moments of ‘Ohhh This is a Must-Have Item’
If you like cute, neat decorations and items, you may want to spend longer in Brighton like I did. I couldn’t help stopping by shops one after another, as well as street stalls.
You can get an eyeful of Brighton-themed items that make you feel you really are in Brighton. Of course there are also shops stocking decorative and lifestyle items that are not necessarily related to Brighton that are still cute! I spent so long at a particular cookery shop during both visits, where I ended up getting some Christmas gifts for special ones in advance (You may wonder why the hell I bought Christmas presents in the middle of the summer; it is a lot better to feel stress-free and self-contented with the gifts fully ready!).
4. The Symbol of Brighton: Brighton Pier
Although I absolutely loved the shops, graffiti, and cutie items, I must include Brighton Beach and Pier as the charm Brighton boasts about. There used to be Brighton Wheel to go with them till this May. So unfortunately I couldn’t see the original view of the beach, Pier, and the Wheel altogether… It is said Zip Wire will replace Brighton Wheel, so we will have to wait and see if it can be well suited as a new landmark of Brighton.
5. A Very Special Theme Park on Brighton Pier that You Wouldn’t Want to Miss
You will naturally enter the theme park when you stroll on Brighton Pier. There is no admission fee, so you can just walk around for sightseeing and leave. When I first visited the city I didn’t ride any attraction at Brighton Pier, since it was rather chilly as well as we had to leave for Seven Sisters. BUT, I would recommend you to leave enough time to fully enjoy this theme park, as I made and absolutely loved it at the second visit! Truly, madly, deeply recommend it. 🙂
OK, I might have been bit too excited for not having been close for some time to any form of amusement parks. But believe me, it was just so much more fun that I expected! The attractions didn’t look that amazing to be honest when I strolled around the area and looked at them, since they seemed a bit old-fashioned. Uh oh…I shouldn’t have underestimated those oldies. Probably I was the one who enjoyed a ride (Galaxia) the most with an unstoppable scream. I just wished I had had longer time to try the others after I managed one just before the returning train.
If you leave some time for the theme park, it will be better to buy an all-day ride ticket at £20 (for adults) as most rides were £4 individually.
As you could probably tell from my trips, Brighton does really have its unique appeal: from bit run-down and rough streets to cute and sweet shops and items, and to vibrant views in the seaside. It is just pretty awesome that you can find all these within walkable distances.
So if you fancy a trip to somewhere to catch as many different spots as possible within a day, Brighton is definitely a keeper for you.If you have different reasons why you like Brighton please feel free to comment below to share another charming points of the city! 🙂
