East Sussex can be a bit confusing at times because of the way it has been drawn up and redrawn over thousands of years. The town of Brighton perhaps best symbolizes the seemingly random way that England creates some of its boroughs and counties. Brighton is a full-fledged city in its own right but on paper it is a town that is part of a larger city known as Brighton and Hove. Brighton and Hove were once two distinct towns but they were mashed together and considered one city even though they have two names. Incidentally, there are actually several other villages that were swept up into this overarching name and they too are now relegated to small supplemental parts of a city that is itself several cities! To make matters even more confusing, Brighton and Hove are only part of the "ceremonial county" of East Sussex and not part of the "non-metropolitan" version of the county. In other words this means nothing. Let's just say right here, though, that the town of Brighton deserves nothing but the best district placement for the fact that it is an integral part of England and has been for centuries.

For one, Brighton is one of the most cherished tourist destinations in Europe. The town draws over eighty thousand visitors each year. Many of these people come to lay eyes on the gorgeous piers and pristine beaches that Brighton offers in spades but there are also quite a lot of visitors who come simply to take in the massive amount of historically significant architecture that dots Brighton's landscape. The famed Royal Pavilion, for instance, was built for the Prince Regent in the early years of the nineteenth century and is one of the most stunning palaces still standing today. It is also a great symbol of the way Brighton takes everything in its city and makes it its own. The Pavilion as it is today is a great place to take pictures, learn about the past, and have a good time with your friends and family. Clearly this is a far cry from what the pavilion was originally intended to be.

Similarly, the Brighton Pier dates back to the nineteenth century and for a long time it was an important part of the shipping trade that took place in Brighton. Today, however, it is yet another glorious photo-op as well as the site for amusement rides, games, snacks, and attractions. This isn't to say that all of Brighton is polished for maximum fun at the expense of education or beauty. There are many famous churches and synagogues that command nothing but the highest amount of awe and respect and many locales are indispensable historical landmarks. To put it simply, Brighton is a city that knows what it has and is proud of it. Whether you group it into a larger county or an overarching borough you'll know right away when you're in Brighton. This is the legacy that the city intends on keeping for as long as it possibly can and it appears as if Brighton isn't going anywhere any time soon.

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