Three months ago I found myself in Brighton for a couple of days and I must say that I had no expectations whatsoever about this city; I had not done any research about the place; nothing.The truth is, I did not know much about Brighton because I always hear people talking about London most of the times they mention England. I only knew that Brighton had a beach and a pier with a lot of rides and games.
The thing is, when I first stepped out of the train station in Brighton, I already seemed to get a very different ‘vibe’ from London, even without seeing anything else in the city. It could be due to the fact that Brighton is like I mentioned above, a beach city but everything just felt very easy. People seemed to be relaxed and everywhere you go there is something fun to do. Brighton is the kind of place that you will never get bored and, at least for me, it felt like stress does not belong here. In some ways, it reminds me of how I felt whilst living in Malta: like I was on a constant holiday. And although in Brighton I was on an actual holiday, I felt that people are just happier and more easy-going there. Especially when the sun is shining!
(I will write a new post in the future to talk more about what Brighton has to offer in terms of food, activities, and culture, but this post is more about my first impression of the city)
Something else that struck me in Brighton, especially when comparing it to London, it was that the city looked much more artistic and 'free' in a way. This is a city for artists, students, and kind of hippies as well. Wondering around the streets of Brighton, you will see color everywhere: in the shops, houses, street stands...
And then we have London, the most popular (or at least one of them) touristic destinations in the entire world, full of culture and history but with a very different atmosphere.
The first time I went to London, it was in the middle of spring and the weather was lovely. I remember the nice walks in the park, going to pubs for a glass of wine, wandering around the busy streets and checking out the main spots of the city. However, I also remember thinking that the Big Bang seemed smaller than in the pictures. After going back there a few years later, this time during winter, I had a totally different experience! It was hard staying outside, it was busy in the streets (too many people) and it seemed that the even the impressive sights (Tower bridge), did not seem as special anymore.
What happened was: I had such high expectations because of years hearing about London and seeing pictures of the city, watching movies that were set in London and so on, that it was much more difficult to be caught by surprise by a certain element of the city (like it happened in Brighton).
In London, people are more serious and moving at a fast pace. But that is not to say that London is not fun! Of course it is, being the biggest city in the UK and one of the biggest in Europe, you can find anything you want there. The diversity is really amazing! Nevertheless, I do feel that London is the type of city that you will either love or hate. There is no middle ground there!
So when thinking about these very distinct cities, I asked myself ''Is Brighton better than London?'' and in my opinion, yes. (Now, it will depend on what you like, the type of activities you want to do there and etc) This is mostly because Brighton really surprised me and when I had very low expectations, Brighton showed me how creative, free and welcoming it actually is. Just by walking down the street and seeing all the different characters, quirky shops, dozens of cafes and foreign cuisine... All very unique but fitting together at the same time. Like I said, for me, London was more "busy, busy, busy" and I prefer the relaxed and friendly beach atmosphere.
What about you? Do you prefer London or Brighton? Do you agree with my first opinion of the city? I will write more about the activities and things to do in Brighton later this week, so keep an eye on my account :)