Remains of the West Pier against Brighton cityscape. England, United Kingdom.

WHAT’S GOING DOWN IN BRIGHTON

Honest Brighton gripes, local chaos and the things nobody else says out loud.

About Karen

I’m Karen, a Brighton native, Kemptown resident, and the person behind this blog. I was born here, I grew up here, and unlike most people who leave and come back with rose-tinted memories, I never left. That means I see Brighton as it actually is, not as a weekend break or a lifestyle fantasy.

Karen in Brighton

Why This Blog Exists

Brighton gets a lot of good press. The Lanes, the beach, the Pride parade, the independent spirit, you’ll find no shortage of glowing write-ups. What’s harder to find is an honest account of what it’s actually like to live here, eat here, deal with the council here, or plan a visit without being let down.

That’s the gap this blog fills.

I started What’s Going Down in Brighton after one too many frustrating experiences that I could find no useful information about online, a restaurant that had clearly gone downhill but still had four stars on every review platform, a community event cancelled with fifteen minutes’ notice, roadworks that somehow took eight months longer than announced. I kept thinking: someone should be writing this down. Eventually I accepted that someone was me.

What I Cover

This blog is about the parts of Brighton that don’t make it into the tourism brochure. I write about:

  • Council decisions, delays, and the gap between what’s promised and what gets delivered
  • Restaurants and dining experiences that don’t live up to the hype
  • Events that disappoint, overcharge, or simply fall apart
  • Community issues affecting residents day to day
  • General rants about life in this city, honest, specific, and based on first-hand experience

I do not write about what’s going well. There are plenty of other places for that.

How I Write

I’m not a journalist and I don’t claim to be. I’m a local who pays attention, keeps notes, and writes things up clearly. Everything on this site is based on my own experience or things I’ve observed directly. Where I’ve relied on outside sources, such as council documents, local news reports, or publicly available data, I say so.

I try to be fair even when I’m being critical. There’s a difference between venting and being useful. The goal is always the latter: to give you information that helps you make a better decision, whether that’s whether to book a restaurant, attend an event, or simply understand what’s happening in the city you live in.

Some posts include affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through them. This never influences what I write about or how I assess it.

Get in Touch

If you’ve had a Brighton experience worth writing about, good luck getting me to cover the good ones, or if you’ve spotted something I’ve got wrong, I’m always happy to hear from you. You can reach me via the contact page.

Last updated: 19 March 2026