The Brighton Student Guide: Brighton City Centre

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About the author: Hi! I'm Shiqin Ong, a Geography and Anthropology student at the University of Sussex in Brighton. I love travelling, hiking, and music alongside writing! I'm also involved in uni sports including rugby, as well as the Photography Society and the student newspaper :)

Just a stone’s throw from the seafront, Brighton's city centre offers the best of what Brighton is known for. There are seafront restaurants and pubs, the Lanes (with the North Laine being where quaint cafés and vintage stores are seemingly everywhere), bookstores, charity shops, and endless opportunities for evenings out.

The list of things to do and places to go in Brighton city centre is never ending, and doing it all is even easier if you live in a Brighton city centre student house nearby.

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Student living 🏠

In regards to living, the city centre is immensely popular with students, with it being the second-most common housing area (after Moulsecoomb) for the 26/27 letting season according to UniHomes. While Moulsecoomb is nearer to the University of Brighton and the University of Sussex’s facilities, both unis are still quite easily accessible from the city centre at about 25-30 minutes on the bus or bike. Living in the city centre also provides the easiest access to what Brighton is best known for: the seaside and the Lanes (and its many happening venues, cafes and pubs).

In terms of housing statistics, the city centre is home to smaller houses in comparison to the commonplace 5- to 7-bedroom student houses that you’ll find elsewhere in Brighton (with there being an average of 2.5 bedrooms in city centre student properties according to UniHomes). So, if you’re after living with a smaller group of people who enjoy being in slightly busier and more social areas, this area may be preferable to you.

Minimum rent starts at £152 per person a week, topping off at £463 pppw with the average being £255.64 pppw – which means you can find Brighton city centre student accommodation that’s right for you whatever your budget.

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Nightlife 🪩

As a student, I find that there's always something going on in Brighton city centre. Many student residences here are above or line busier social streets, making it easy to pop in and out when you feel like it. Popular student night clubs in the area include Chalk and Pryzm – known for being Y2K-night hosts, gig venues, and chaotic society social night-out locales, respectively.

Outside of these bigger venues, Dead Wax and MASH are both free-entry and are popular places for a boogie if smaller venues and DJ sets are your preference. However, if you (like many other students) find that club nights aren’t your thing, Brighton nonetheless has events for almost everybody. The Lanes are speckled with a large variety of pubs all throughout, including The Font (which was originally built as a chapel but has now been refurbished into a popular live music spot and pub). The Green Dragon features live jazz music every Tuesday, which makes for a popular evening activity.

The list could go on and on, but in summary the pubs in central Brighton are always buzzing, whether it be music, karaoke, or a pub quiz you're looking for.

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Restaurants and cafés 🍜

Outside of the nightlife and pub-hopping, central Brighton is also home to a variety of international cuisines. A personal favourite of mine is Shogun Ramen, a sort of hole-in-the-wall restaurant that serves generous and delicious portions of ramen for about £15.

Another student-favourite is Pompoko, a cash-only Japanese restaurant that serves a variety of rice bowls and sides for approximately £10. Outside of their original location opposite Brighton Dome, a recently opened outlet in nearby Kemptown allows for a good meal out.

Popular restaurant Fatto A Mano has a few locations in Brighton, and they often feature fun and funky promotional deals including running a 10k in the shape of a pizza or bringing a pineapple to their door in order to redeem a free pizza.

Depending on your heart’s desire, the Lanes feature a wide variety of cuisines, including Donatellos, Flat Iron, Roti King, and also pan-asian restaurant Bali (featuring personal favourites like laksa and nasi lemak).

If you're simply having a shopping or wandering break, central Brighton has a seemingly endless list of cafés for you to stop by in. A personal favourite of mine is the Trading Post branch in Kensington Gardens, which has a rooftop space where you can enjoy brunch or a beverage in the sun. You may have to watch out however for the resident seagulls :)

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Activities and amenities 🛍️

There are so many options for things to do when spending time in Brighton city centre. Snooper’s Paradise is the perfect place to delve amongst antique collectibles, alongside the Saturday Flea Market hosted every week (depending on the weather). Central Brighton also boasts a wide variety of retro and vintage clothing stores including Beyond Retro and To Be Worn Again.

Slightly outside of the Lanes area (near Churchill Square and along London Road) are popular charity shopping locations, where you can wander along to the 5-7 charity shops along each road. Whether it be spending time rifling through curated pieces at a vintage store, finding funny bric-a-brac in a charity shop, or looking at jewellery at my personal favourite store Red Gecko, there’s just something so enjoyable about spending a sunny afternoon wandering the Lanes and central Brighton with a coffee in hand.

Outside of the wide variety of shops, pop into Photomatic to choose from a variety of props and signs to get cute and classically-Brighton photo booth pics!

Of course, being in Brighton city centre provides the perfect access to the beach; you can choose between joining the many runners along the seafront, catching an impromptu sunset with a barbecue, having a cheeky sea-swim, or just enjoying a walk around.

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The best part of central Brighton is the access to the town itself, whether a quick coffee stop, shopping trip, or simply enjoying the sights.

Our UniHomes Content Ambassadors are current students across the UK who share tips about student life in their city to help you make the most of your time at uni. If you're interested in writing for our programme, click here for more details.

The views and opinions expressed in these blogs are those of the UniHomes Content Ambassadors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of UniHomes. UniHomes accepts no liability for the content of these Student Blogs.