Coasts with the most: top seaside destinations vying for the London-on-sea crown

Evening Standard

London is not officially a coastal city. But the steady creep of urban sprawl, plus inexorably expensive housing, improving train connections and the stubborn persistence of home working mean certain choice seaside outposts are becoming, if  not absorbed into the capital, then arty, bohemian satellites of it.Forget Whitstable, Deal and Aldeburgh though — too established with house prices to match. The new London-on-seas are edgier and more affordable for the steady stream of disaffected creatives seeking sea air and a new lifestyle — with good wine and nice coffee close at hand.

Transcript

00:00Have you heard of the London on Seas?

00:03These are seaside towns with an edgy vibe where Londoners are flocking to for affordability,

00:08community and a new lifestyle since the increase in working from home.

00:12First up we have St Leonard's on Sea with its creative edge,

00:16chic cafes and a real sense of community which are attracting Londoners.

00:21On top of the houses being a similar cost to a one bedroom flat in London.

00:25Our next destination is Hastings where we're told life feels easy.

00:30The ideal selling points of this town are the like-minded communities and just a short commute into London

00:35with the train journey into London Bridge taking just an hour and 20 minutes.

00:40Next on the list is Faulkston in Kent where its regeneration of the town is attracting those who don't go into the office daily.

00:48Faulkston has independent restaurants, bars and cafes by the sandy beach

00:53as well as taking less than an hour to commute into London St Pancras International by train.

00:59Another up and coming town is Felixstowe where old-fashioned tea shops are being reborn as hip cafes.

01:05The town is constantly improving with new galleries, artisanal markets and even an annual music festival.

01:11When travelling from Felixstowe to London Liverpool Street it will take you just under two hours.

01:15Another seaside town attracting Londoners is Weston Supermare where recent figures show 23% of people moving into the area are in their 20s.

01:25A younger demographic has brought new bars, cafes, restaurants and co-working spaces which have popped up in the town centre.

01:32And finally Worthing in West Sussex is for those to enjoy a slower pace of life with lower housing prices and an up-and-coming food scene.

01:40The good train links to London is useful with an hour 20-minute commute as well as it only being a 20-minute train from Brighton.

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