Brighton Beach Memoirs

Brighton is having an identity crisis.

My friend and I discovered this over the weekend when we visited the small beach town for a little day trip. Everyone who heard I was traveling asked if I was going to Brighton to explore the night life. I could only shrug when asked, because I didn't know Brighton was known for it's night life. When I thought of Brighton a crazy clubbing scene did not immediately come to mind.

What did come to mind was a lot like what we found. Brighton Beach is an English beach, which means it's cold, grey, and rocky, with a lot of old glory. There's a beautiful pier, built in 1899, that stretches out into the ocean that reflects the grandeur Brighton once had. It is sad to walk along the beach and pier now. The glory hangs in the air above the white pavilions on the pier and leans on the white wrought iron railing stretching along the walk. The ugly, cheap carnival rides lay abandon and forgotten in the off season, and only the kitschy souvenir stands and "ye olde sweet shoppes" stand open. I hear it can get quite crowded in the summer time, but there was no one there to appreciate the pier and what it has become this weekend.

The personality of Brighton embodied is the old remains of the West Pier.  Off the rocky beach there is a large iron skeleton standing alone in the middle of the ocean. It is a haunting sight, but you can almost make out how grand the pavilion was and how enchanting it must have been when it was first built in 1866.

Remains of the West Pier

Once you leave the coastline, however, Brighton takes on a completely different look. The North Laine area in the downtown of Brighton is home to many artsy, "hippy", gay rights movements. It's a funky little area with multiple boutiques, independent coffee houses, and small event venues. At night, the main road turns into a strip of clubs and pubs that draw all of the young people out. This part of town evokes almost the opposite feeling than the beach gives off--downtown Brighton is very much alive and thriving, making a new name for itself.