Brighton

Brighton is a charming city (population 2001 - 247,817) and famous seaside resort in on the south coast of England, in the county of East Sussex and almost immediately due south of the capital city London (47 miles / 76 km). In 2000, the two neighboring communities of Brighton and Hove joined together to form the unitary authority of the City of Brighton and Hove.

The city is convenient for London, and increasingly popular with media and music types who don't want to live in the capital. It is sometimes called "London-by-the-Sea" for this reason. Brighton is probably the gay capital of Britain. There is a significant gay district in Kemp Town which adds to the Bohemian atmosphere of the city.

The city's proximity to London means Brighton is well served by airports. Brighton can be reached from Gatwick by train in as little as 25 minutes. Shoreham's airport (also known as Brighton City Airport) is located 5 miles to the west of Brighton. It is the nearest airport for light aircraft and also offers sightseeing flights. It is the oldest licensed airport in the UK.

Brighton has excellent food, especially for vegetarians. The most famous vegetarian restaurant (and, after a recent buy out, now fairly expensive) is Food for Friends situated in The Lanes. On the other end of the scale, there are many takeaways in Brighton catering for different kinds of tastes (pizza, Chinese, Mexican, Indian food). Prices are usually fairly cheap and most are open until late.