Rocket Jack’s A-Z of all things Brighton

Our tag line is “Custom art prints from our Brighton space to brighten your place”, and as you might have guessed, we are rather proud of our home town by the sea. Despite crazy house prices and exorbitant parking charges, Brighton is a vibrant, eclectic city full of creative, free spirited folk (or eccentrics, you decide) and pretty much anything goes. This is probably why we attract over 11 million tourists each year, despite ‘just' having a pebble beach.

If you’re one of those 11 million day trippers, hen weekend goers or just mildly curious, we’ve compiled our A-Z guide of all things Brighton (and Hove actually!)

Image courtesy of Veerle Contant on Unsplash

A is for

• Amex Stadium - Home of Brighton & Hove Albion, otherwise known as the Seagulls. Brighton were promoted to the Premier League in 2017. All together now…Albion, Albion, Albion…
• Aquarium - Brighton’s Sealife centre is the oldest original Victorian aquarium in the world, built in 1872.
• AlCampo Lounge - Popular brunch spot complete with board games in the bustling area of London road.

B is for…gosh where do we start with B, I suppose we ought to go for the obvious…

• Brighton beach - Yes it gets ridiculously busy on bank holidays, yes its pebbly and everyone makes funny faces whilst trying to walk barefoot across it, but its a beach alright! Breathe in the sea air, relax, take in some wonderful sunsets and indulge in the great British tradition of fish and chips. Just watch your chips or the naughty seagulls will nab them!
• Beer - To be drunk on a sunny afternoon and preferably on the beach whilst BBQing. Brighton is home to many micro breweries and pubs serving craft beers. Our faves are Brewdog, Darkstar and The Brighton Beer Dispensary.
• (The) Box - A boutique boxing inspired gym and favourite of Rocket Jack’s Hannah when she wants to work up a sweat or beat the crap out of something!
• Burgers - Burger lovers should head to Burger Brothers on North Road
• Bincho Yakitori - Smack in the heart of restaurant street as it is locally known (Preston Street), Bincho is our go to for delicious Japanese sharing plates.
• Boho Gelato - By this point you may have realised that food is high on our agenda 😋. Boho Gelato is a must visit for ‘proper’ ice cream made on site with milk and cream from local farms.
• Birdman - It is likely you will encounter the Birdman, probably around The Lanes. Selling his irritating chirpy bird whistles, he’s something of a Brighton institution.
• Booth Museum of Natural History - Thought we’d end the B’s with a slightly creepy Victorian museum located near Dyke Road Park. If you like taxidermy and the smell of formaldehyde then make sure its on your visit list!

 C is for

• Conclave - The home of affordable art in Brighton (well aside from us of course) Conclave is an independent contemporary art gallery on Queens road, just minutes from the station.
• Chilli Pickle - Sorry more food, but Chilli Pickle is now a Brighton institution serving and home delivering some of the best Indian street food around. Their Grand Thalis are to die for!
• Concorde 2 - A stalwart on the Brighton nightclub scene, Concorde 2 has played host to many big names in music for the last 20 years including our legendary DJ Fatboy Slim, Pete Tong and even the Foo Fighters! If you’re a vinyl junkie with fond memories of the Brighton clubbing scene then check out our best-selling personalised vinyl prints.

D is for

• Devils Dyke - A deep chasm in the South Downs and popular beauty spot for tourists. Local folklore explains the valley as the work of the Devil, hence the name. To visit from central Brighton, take the open top bus (number 77) from the pier and “breeze up to the downs”.
• Brighton Dome - If you’re into the arts then you’ll want to check out what’s on at the Dome. From comedy to dance, theatre and live music there is something for everyone.
• Duke of York’s Cinema - The oldest cinema in Britain and even better it sells wine with your popcorn! You can’t miss this Brighton landmark, is has huge dancing legs on the roof!

E is for

• Easy Tiger - You’re really going to think we’re gluttons! But Easy Tiger at The Hampton combines two of our favourite things, Indian street food and craft beer! Nom! They also happen to have one of our Tiger prints on their wall so do check it out when you visit, It’s this one!

F is for…Oh god it’s fish and chips - we’ve already mentioned that

• Festival - Brighton’s annual Festival and Fringe Festival attracts thousands of visitors each May and celebrates a vast array of music, theatre, dance, circus, art, outdoor and family events. Each year we never manage to go to as many things as we’d like, there is just so much going on.
• Famous residents - We all love our favourite celebrity DJ Fatboy Slim (Norman Cook) and have fond memories of the early days of the Big Beach Boutique, however Brighton is renowned for many a celebrity resident. Past and present, Brighton has been home to famous folk including Cate Blanchett, Peter James, Nick Cave, Steve Coogan, David Walliams and many more.
• Fatto a Mano - It’s pizza, its good pizza - need we say more.

G is for

• Great Escape Festival - Happening around the Brighton Festival, Great Escape is the perfect place to discover new up and coming music artists from around the world.
• Green Door Store - Keeping the musical vibe coming, Green Door Store is a favourite haunt for live music and is right beneath Brighton station. Yes, it does have a green door!

H is for

• Hove Lawns - Don’t fancy the pebbly beach, crash out on Hove lawns and watch the world and its dog go by. The perfect people watching spot, just check the bicycle lane.
• Hove Park - Down for the weekend? Hove Park is worth a visit, especially with kids. There is a lovely perimeter walk, a tiny train that runs odd weekends through the summer, playground and climbing rocks to keep them entertained.

I is for

• i360 - A relative newcomer to the Brighton attraction scene, the British Airways i360 shows off the beauty of Brighton and the surrounding South Downs from 450ft (138m) up.

J is for

• Jogging - A favourite Brightonian past time, almost anywhere day or night you can find people jogging, some of them don’t even wear shoes 😱 If you’re a running fan then you might like our modern art running print.
• Jungle Rumble Adventure Golf - What is it with seaside towns and mini adventure golf? This 18 hole course is worth a visit on a sunny day.

K is for

• Komedia - Based in the North Laine, Komedia is renowned for its comedy and cabaret shows. It now also houses Dukes of Komedia, a partnership cinema venue with the Duke of York’s.
• Kemptown - Set to the East of Central Brighton, Kemptown was historically known as the actors and artists quarter. It now has a sizeable gay community, lots of fashionable bars and restaurants and plays host to the Pride Village Party as part of the annual Brighton Pride festival.

L is for

• The Lanes and North Laine - Often confusingly referred to as North and South Lanes. Actually there is only the North Laine (North of North Street) and The Lanes (South of North Street) Hope we’ve cleared that up for you 😂
• Lido - Technically in Saltdean, the Lido which originally opened in 1938 was recently refurbished thanks to the ‘Save the Saltdean Lido’ campaign which was set up by local residents to save the site from residential redevelopment.
• Lavender Rooms - A gorgeous boutique gift shop in North Laine.
• London to Brighton bike ride - Many have come a cropper riding up Ditchling Beacon, the final uphill hurdle on this annual 55 mile charity cycling pilgrimage. If you know a cycling fanatic then next time you need a gift, how about this modern cycling art.

M is for

• Malarkey Cards - An independent greetings card shop in the North Laine area with a 20+ year history and the first shop we ever sold art to back in the mid 90’s.
• Brighton Marina - The largest marina in the UK and out of town entertainment centre with restaurants, shops, cinema, bowlplex and more. Check out the plush yachts, eat overlooking the quayside or take a boat trip out to the wind farm.
• Brighton Marathon - A warm up to the London Marathon, Brighton’s marathon is now in its 10th year and growing annually. This is what all those joggers are training for!

N is for

• Naked Bike Ride - Usually stumbled upon accidentally by unsuspecting visitors and residents alike, the annual naked bike ride takes place each June. Highlighting the vulnerability of cyclists on the road and celebrating the human body in its myriad forms, you can always count on Brighton to embrace all things life affirming.
• Nudist Beach - Whilst we’re talking nakedness, we might as well highlight the naturist beach which lies at Black Rock, along Madeira Drive. A short walk from the Marina or the last stop on the Volks electric railway.
• Noodles Soup - On West Street, just a stones throw from the station and the beach, lies this little gem, which in our food obsessed opinion does the best noodle soup in the whole freaking world! If you’re into Ramen as much as we are then check out our limited edition foodie infographic prints.

O is for

• Old Steine - The main thoroughfare to the sea leading to Palace Pier. Home to the Spiegeltent at Festival time along with the Victoria fountain and Brighton War Memorial, The Old Steine is a great place to sit and watch the world rushing by.
• Open Market - Based on London road, the Open Market is open daily and houses both permanent and pop up stalls selling everything from home made crafts to fruit and veg. The market also hosts a wide variety of events from Christmas markets to pre-loved vintage garment sales.
• OhSo Social - A favourite haunt on the beach, by day OhSo is a relaxed bar and restaurant serving comfort food and by night you can dance your socks off. 

Image courtesy of Tristan Billet on Unsplash

P is for

• Pride 🌈 - The first weekend in August, Brighton hosts visitors from around the globe at its various LGBT Pride events from the Parade to Pride in the Park and the Village Festival. Pride is the single most popular visitor attraction in the annual event calendar and each year celebrates the diverse community of the city in a glittering rainbow spectacle! Our rainbow vinyl print makes the perfect commemorative Pride gift or keepsake.
• Pier - Palace pier and West pier are both synonymous with the city. If its loud, brash seaside entertainment, donuts and fairground rides you’re after then Palace pier is for you. Or perhaps you’d rather sit and take in the erie remains of the West Pier, which remains the most photographed building in Brighton. From the end of October to March, the beautiful and fascinating starling murmurations can also be seen each evening at sunset as the birds prepare to roost for the night.
• Preston Park - The largest park in the city and the home of many events throughout the year. Day to day visitors can enjoy sporting facilities like the velodrome and that all important kids playground and cafe. Nearby Preston Manor is also worth a visit if you’re into historic Edwardian houses.
• Poets Corner - Brighton is divided into lots of mini districts and this is another, so called because of its streets such as Wordsworth and Shakespeare Street.
• Paddle around the Pier - Our annual beach festival which happens each July on Hove lawns. A charity fundraiser which grows year on year and encourages a have a go attitude to a variety of water and urban sports. The iconic event sees hundreds of entrants race between the piers on SUP’s, canoe’s and a strange variety of other floating things like sheds!

Image courtesy of Victoria Alexander on Unsplash

Q is for

• Queens Road - Arrive into Brighton on the train and follow this road through the centre of town and straight to the beach.
• Queens Park - Another of the cities many parks in the Hanover district which feels a world away from the hubbub of town. Beware the sometime angry swans in the pond!
• Quadrophenia - The 1979 movie was filmed in Brighton, so check out some of its iconic film locations such as Quadrophenia Alley in East Street.

R is for

• Royal Pavilion - The Royal Pavilion also known as Brighton Pavilion is an exotic Indian style palace in Central Brighton near Old Steine. An iconic city landmark, the palace was built as a seaside retreat for King George IV and has an interesting and colourful history. Our Royal Pavilion personalised print makes a great memento of time spent in the city.
• Racecourse - With many racing fixtures and other events including wedding and art fairs throughout the year, Brighton Racecourse is a great day out in a picturesque location with panoramic views of the sea.

S is for

• Seagulls - Some consider them a pest but what seaside town would be the same without them. Yes they wake everyone at the crack of dawn and immediately relieve themselves on your freshly washed car but we’d miss them if they weren’t here. Our Seagull print is one of our most popular modern bird prints so someone loves them!
• Sea Lanes - Part of the redevelopment of the crumbling Madeira Drive, the Sea Lanes is an open water swimming centre. This summer the venue also hosted a pop up beach bar with Bison Beer and Beach Box a wood fired sauna on the beach, perfect for warming up after a bracing dip in the English Channel. If you’re a lover of all things swimming then our open water swim print could be your perfect home accessory.
• The Set - Rocket Jack’s favourite restaurant which also happens to be next door to The Artists Residence a quirky boutique hotel which is renowned for its cocktails.
• Stoneham Pub - Serving the Stoneham Park and Poets Corner neighbourhoods, the Stoneham pub is great for a Sunday Roast with the kids. It also happens to be where we got married so we do have a bit of a soft spot for it.
• Sixty Four Degrees - Okay, okay its another restaurant and you may only be able to get a table for more than four if you plan months in advance, but seriously Brighton’s food game is strong right now!

 T is for

• Talloc - We can’t promise this will be the last food mention but this Mexican place is a real gem.
• Theatre Royal - Touring West End shows, musicals and plays all pass through our local theatre.

U is for 

• Upside Down House - The latest seafront attraction located near the i360, the upside house is a fun experience where you can walk on the ceilings and take some funny instaworthy photos of family and friends in extraordinary poses.
• The Urchin Pub - another regular Rocket Jack haunt

V is for

• Volks Railway - The worlds oldest operating electric railway dates back to 1883 and during the summer months ferries visitors along the sea front from near Palace Pier to Black Rock.

W is for

• West Blatchington Windmill - A Grade II listed smock mill which dates back to the 1800’s and has been restored and opened to the public.
• The Warren - a pop up venue which appears during the Brighton Festival to host events as part of the Fringe. 
• Windfarm - The Rampion off shore windfarm is 30 minutes from Brighton Marina. Many local companies offer boat trips out to view the massive wind turbines.

X is for….hmmm tricky one can we have AmeX again?

Y is for

• Yellow Wave - A fabulous beach sports venue on Madeira Drive which can be reached on the Volks Railway. Hang out in the sand, play beach volleyball and drink amazing milkshakes in the cafe.
• Yoga - Another favourite pastime of Brightonians, Yoga in Brighton is everywhere. From Hatha to Hot and everywhere in between you can definitely get your flow on. If downward dog is your thing then our range of yoga prints might inspire you…namaste!

Z is for

• The Zap - It hasn’t existed for many years now but it's worth a mention as one of the most iconic nightclubs of the 90’s.
• Zip Wire - Running along the beach, this 300 metre long zip wire is Brighton’s latest thrill ride attraction.

 Image courtesy of David Svihovec on Unsplash