The Palace Pier is the working one. It juts 524 metres into the English Channel with amusement arcades, fairground rides including a rollercoaster, fish and chip stalls, and that particular smell of salt air and fried doughnuts that has defined British seaside holidays since the Victorian era. It is unashamedly cheerful and doesn't apologise for it.
Walking to the end on a winter afternoon, with the wind off the Channel and the city small behind you, is one of Brighton's more quietly dramatic experiences. The views back to the shore take in the whole seafront from Hove in the west to the Marina in the east. In summer the rides and arcades are packed; in winter you often have the end of the pier nearly to yourself.