Hove sits immediately west of Brighton along the Sussex coast, separated in administrative terms since the two merged into a single unitary authority in 1997, though most locals still maintain the distinction with some feeling. Where Brighton pitches itself at weekenders seeking nightlife and the Palace Pier, Hove tends quieter and, it must be said, more expensive. The character is set largely by the seafront architecture: long Regency terraces in cream stucco, with columned porches and iron balconies, running west from the border at the Peace Statue toward the marina and beyond. Brunswick Square and Adelaide Crescent are particularly well preserved and rank among the finest examples of early-nineteenth-century seaside town planning in England.
The beach is shingle throughout — the same flint pebbles as Brighton, shelving steeply into the Channel — and the groynes that divide it into sections create small sheltered bays that catch the afternoon sun. The seafront promenade is wide and flat, popular with cyclists, dog walkers, and runners regardless of weather, and the beach huts at the western end are among the most contested in England. Behind the seafront, Church Road and Western Road provide an independent retail and eating strip with a noticeably different tone from Brighton's Lanes: less vintage and quirky, more neighbourhood restaurant and wine bar.
Hove Park to the north offers a conventional urban green space and is home to The Goldstone — a 20-tonne sarsen boulder with a history older than any building in the city. All Saints Church on The Drive holds the grave of George Everest, the surveyor whose name was given to the world's highest mountain against his own wishes. The Hove Museum tells the city's history, including its unexpected claim to be one of the birthplaces of British cinema. The community has a significant LGBTQ+ presence and a strong independent creative sector. If Brighton is the performance, Hove is where many of the performers go home.