[Sussex] Worthing - officially the best British seaside town to move to in 2023

[Dick Knights Mumm]

What always strikes me when we go to Worthing is that it could do with a university. If it had 20k young people in the town - and the money that puts into the economy it would make a massive difference to the feel of the place. Where we are it's as easy to get to Worthing as Brighton. If you want to park easily - go for a walk along the prom, go to a sensibly priced cinema, wander around the shops, even have a coffee ....... it's great.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

It’s nice enough but can’t you use the same logic to move to any seaside town that isn’t overrun by crowds in the Summer ? Basically most of them. I can think of a load in the NW.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

What always strikes me when we go to Worthing is that it could do with a university. If it had 20k young people in the town - and the money that puts into the economy it would make a massive difference to the feel of the place. Where we are it's as easy to get to Worthing as Brighton. If you want to park easily - go for a walk along the prom, go to a sensibly priced cinema, wander around the shops, even have a coffee ....... it's great.

Introduce a university and l think the character of the town would would change immeasurably.

 

[beorhthelm]

doesnt everywhere have a microbrewery, cocktail bars, cafes, boutiques these days? what makes Brighton standout is literally dozens of them in quite close proximity.

 

[PeterT]

I feel the centre has gone downhill a bit since Beales moved out, nearest department store is now Tunbridge Wells or Southampton!

 

[Coldeanseagull]

What always strikes me when we go to Worthing is that it could do with a university. If it had 20k young people in the town - and the money that puts into the economy it would make a massive difference to the feel of the place. Where we are it's as easy to get to Worthing as Brighton. If you want to park easily - go for a walk along the prom, go to a sensibly priced cinema, wander around the shops, even have a coffee ....... it's great.

Yeah, that's one way to stop locals from being able to afford property, have a quieter lifestyle and negotiate their way around what shops and hostelries there are left.
Let Lewes Road and London Road be a warning to any town thinking of allowing a large campus to have free rein

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

What always strikes me when we go to Worthing is that it could do with a university. If it had 20k young people in the town - and the money that puts into the economy it would make a massive difference to the feel of the place. Where we are it's as easy to get to Worthing as Brighton. If you want to park easily - go for a walk along the prom, go to a sensibly priced cinema, wander around the shops, even have a coffee ....... it's great.

I personally disagree entirely - it would completely change the town.

Look at the amount of student accommodation being thrown up in Brighton - and the number of houses being let out to groups of students, outpricing locals from renting / buying.

 

[Springal]

Really?

And that's despite the Council's sterling efforts to make the town as unattractive and inaccessible as possible.

Roadworks and temp traffic lights all over the show. Holes being dug in pavements all over town and left for weeks. Numerous derelict town centre buildings. High parking charges. Unrepaired roads and pavements. Crap bus services.

The town has become a depressing mess.

If I didn't live and work in Worthing, it certainly wouldn't be a place I would move to.

How else do you propose the utilities are improved ? A lot of it is fibre being run for next generation connectivity. Same as most places in Sussex

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

I don't want this to sound rude to Worthing - it's basically fine, even quite nice - but if it's the best seaside town to move to in Britain, an island nation with nothing but coastline and seaside towns, then it rather suggests that the country is in a bit of a state.

There has to be a better option than quite nice?!

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

Well l would move there like a shot if only l were able.

The missus and l always said, that once we retired we would love to move into a bungalow near the sea. We have always liked Worthing, and the area just just west of the town. Goring, Ferring, East Preston etc.

Just one problem, have you seen the prices of property there? bungalows especially.

Not retired but moved right on the Goring / Ferring border a couple of years ago into a bungalow that needed a lot of updating. Had to spend a few quid to bring it up to spec but worth the investment.

Working from home, it is nice than once I finish for the day I can be walking along the Ilex within a minute to clear my head and get some exercise. In the summer I can cut across the fields and be walking along the beach, watching the various windsurfers, kitesurfers, etc.

 

[Lenny Rider]

Double edged sword really.

Pleased the town has received this accolade, but also surprised in a way as the town has effectively been let go to ratshit by various Town Hall administrations.

The week before last I did the funeral service of the former owner of peter Pans Playground and Brooklands, as a mark of respect I took the hearse past both locations, without wishing to be flippant it was just as well the man in the back couldn't see the state of both places.

Peter Pans went by the wayside to build the carbunkle of a a swimming pool, whilst Brooklands has been turned into a 'nature park' by the previous Tory regime, for nature park read lets just not maintain the grounds and turn it into an overgrown eyesore.

Many years ago I looked after the service of a well known London based fairground operator, his son told me then, the Brooklands site was manna from heaven, they could have put something really good on there that would have attracted visitors to the town and put thousands of pounds annually into the local economy for decades.

That and the one of the biggest gaps between average wage and average first time buyer house prices in the UK, but apart from that

 

[Pavilionaire]

I think Worthing is doing as well as can be expected given the various millstones around its neck, namely:

1. A horrible stretch of A27 above it.
2. A wasteland between the main train station and the north of the town.
3. The 1980s time capsule that is Montague Street.
4. Some of the ugliest buildings anywhere in the south (Guildbourne Centre and car park, seafront car park.)

 

[Peteinblack]

Anything that makes people ignore Lancing and keep it as the run-down, un-gentrified, overlooked, little hole… is fine by me.

Shoreham has been wrecked by newcomers, Worthing is going to be next.

I’m happy in my 1980’s time trap

I'm from Lancing originally

 

[Peteinblack]

I think Worthing is doing as well as can be expected given the various millstones around its neck, namely:

1. A horrible stretch of A27 above it.
2. A wasteland between the main train station and the north of the town.
3. The 1980s time capsule that is Montague Street.
4. Some of the ugliest buildings anywhere in the south (Guildbourne Centre and car park, seafront car park.)

Ah, the Guildbourne Centre - used to have a Saturday job in what was Key Markets.

 

[Justice]

About ten years ago I was interested in buying a five story house near the seafront the price was attractive as it used to be a solicitors office and needed a full refurb, unfortunately it was a strange deal and we would of had to pay VAT on top of the purchase price which made it impossible. I was also put off by the number of park bench drinkers

 

[vegster]

Worthing is Great. Loads of decent restaurants and The Dome Cinema

The Dome Cinema is excellent and good value too. Cheap admission in the afternoon, or, used to be ? Often about a third of the cost of Cineworld or the DoY's.

 

[brighton terra]

The Dome Cinema is excellent and good value too. Cheap admission in the afternoon, or, used to be ? Often about a third of the cost of Cineworld or the DoY's.

Not forgetting the screens at the Connaught Theatre. The Studio is particularly good.

 

[banjo]

The Dome Cinema is excellent and good value too. Cheap admission in the afternoon, or, used to be ? Often about a third of the cost of Cineworld or the DoY's.

Dome Cinema - Worthing's Most Popular Cinema | Prices/Offers | Prices

domecinema.co.uk

Cheap as chips.

 

[DarrenFreemansPerm]

Anything that makes people ignore Lancing and keep it as the run-down, un-gentrified, overlooked, little hole… is fine by me.

Shoreham has been wrecked by newcomers, Worthing is going to be next.

I’m happy in my 1980’s time trap

It’s only a matter of time…

 

[brighton terra]

Double edged sword really.

Pleased the town has received this accolade, but also surprised in a way as the town has effectively been let go to ratshit by various Town Hall administrations.

The week before last I did the funeral service of the former owner of peter Pans Playground and Brooklands, as a mark of respect I took the hearse past both locations, without wishing to be flippant it was just as well the man in the back couldn't see the state of both places.

Peter Pans went by the wayside to build the carbunkle of a a swimming pool, whilst Brooklands has been turned into a 'nature park' by the previous Tory regime, for nature park read lets just not maintain the grounds and turn it into an overgrown eyesore.

Many years ago I looked after the service of a well known London based fairground operator, his son told me then, the Brooklands site was manna from heaven, they could have put something really good on there that would have attracted visitors to the town and put thousands of pounds annually into the local economy for decades.

That and the one of the biggest gaps between average wage and average first time buyer house prices in the UK, but apart from that

You refer to a ‘nature park’ as if it’s a bad thing thing!

A lot of work has recently been done to improve Brooklands Park and further improvements are in the pipeline.

Worthing Borough Council gives update on Brooklands Park scheme | The Argus

A MULTI-MILLION-POUND project to transform a park in Worthing is gathering pace.

www.theargus.co.uk