The Level is a funny old place. On the one hand, it's a great green space for lounging around with…read morefriends and a few beers in the summer. On the other hand, it is a roosting spot for some pretty dubious characters- I've seen a lot of quite open drug use happening just yards away from me, which can be a bit uncomfortable if you're just trying to have an innocent picnic! I'm generally a 'live and let live' kind of girl, but if you're a bit more sensitive... Although I guess it is technically a park, it feels a bit more like a green or a common, as it is essentially just a stretch of grass and a skate park. I just realized I'm still defining a park as somewhere that includes a children's play area. I'm 25! Oh dear. Despite my encounters with some dodgy goings on, I still enjoy a spot of sunbathing on the level, as it's really close to my house and lots of nice local pubs. And if you steer clear of the little wall lined with benches at the north perimeter, you'll be a-okay. There's plenty of space for Frisbee, football and all sorts of other summer games. In the Autumn the Level is visited by a funfair complete with waltzers, candy floss and groups of local youths.

the level puts everyone from all walks of life on a level playing field so to speak. You never know…read morewhat sorts of people you will get down here which can be good and bad. Think of it as an experience either way. People are always happy for you to get involved in their games and it is always good to spend sometime with people you have never met as you always learn something. At night however it can be a little bit strange so really use it during the day. Everything else has been covered by the guys before so read up on their review.

Preston Park is Brighton's largest and oldest planned city park. Funded by a bequest from a local…read morebookmaker, William Edmund Davies, the park opened on 8 November 1884. The park is located on the main A23 road from London to Brighton, a mile and half north of the city centre, and next to Preston Manor. The main park is over 60 acres in area and includes wide open spaces of parkland with trees, formal beds along the side of the A23 road, and at the south end is a formal rose garden. Next to this is the Rotunda Cafe, which is open Monday-Friday 9.15-16h and weekends 9.30-17h. Moving northwards are 4 bowling greens and 8 tennis courts, mutli-sports areas with basket ball courts, a 500m velodrome, a children's playground, 4 soccer pitches and 2 cricket pitches. In the centre of the park is the Chalet Cafe, open daily 10-17h. Despite the all organised sport provided for, many come here just to walk or for picnics, or for nothing in particular at all. Other items of interest include a clock tower and the Hansel and Gretel-like tiled house (sadly now with its windows protected with wire mesh). As well as general recreation, the park is the location for many events during the year. The largest is the event after the Brighton Pride parade, which finishes at the Park, regarded by many as the premier free Gay Pride event in the UK. It regularly attracts over 120,000. (It takes place on 2nd August in 2008). Other events are held during the year, including concerts and family days.

Very pretty park…read more I didn't see or step in any piles of dog shit. I believe I got talked into taking a BMF class here or I might have been laying around the lawns waiting for a friend to get done with a class. Either way, it's pretty and clean.

This park is a bit of a jack of all trades in the fact that so much is there for such a variety of…read morepeople. As, it isn't that well known it is only really busy in the best of summer days which in my opinion lets it down a bit. The playground area is one of the best around with tonnes of things to keep the kids busy for atleast a couple of hours. The park itself is kept well and surrounded by trees which encloses it slightly. This place is perfect if you want to get out of the office and have a bit of lunch and get into the sunshine which I have done on numerous occasions in the past. The tennis courts offer those who can't stay still, a chance to burn off all that energy.

Blaker's Park is a smaller local park wedged between Preston Drove on the south end and Stanford…read moreAvenue at the north end. It is much more compact park than Preston Park down the road and works perfectly for families and young kids. The whole park is on a slope which makes it a little more difficult for portable barbecues but great for rolling down the hill! As you walk down the grassy slope from Stanford Avenue you reach a lovely red brick clock tower and a small cafe stand (great coffee, GREAT cakes!) and two tennis courts in excellent condition (free before 10am). Next to the tennis courts is a small playground for young kids with a sandpit, slide and various climbing frames- as well as some picnic tables for parents. Grab a coffee and watch your kids burn off their energy!

If you're after a grittier take on urban sports without being arrested, then it's well worth a trip…read moreto the Level skate park. There are a selection of ramps and boxes for pretty much all abilities and styles here. In recent years this spot has been made a little more family friendly too though this is dependent on when you're there as with any public park. With the Brighton BMX centre close at hand this is the kind of spot that retains a good sense of community. The park does have certain drawbacks though, it's definitely a BMX heavy park, and while this is great for the super trendy multi coloured BMX bandits out there it can be a bit tricky for those of us on planks. What I will say for this place though is that for the skater with a tinge of insomnia it's a rad place for a three a.m. rampage, particularly if you skate old Skool and want to get a flow on whilst mastering your bertslides.

Like many kids of my generation, I watched Back to the Future when it was first released and…read moredecided that for my birthday I was going to ask for a skateboard. For the next number of years I chocked about with my friends bombing down steep hills and suchlike. back then there were no skate parks in Burgess Hill, so I never ended up getting any ramp experience or major trick skills (I did manage feeble ollies). Anyhow, that was kind of the end of my skating career, but I still retain a special spot in my heart for decks. Whilst I wouldn't embarrass myself with an epic crash at this skate park, I do regularly check out the talent when i am on the level. There are a number of drop in ramps, grinding rails and box jumps to allow riders to show their skills. usually though you don't see that many Tony hawk protege's. Also, like Josh mentions, there area lot of bikers down there. The park is decorated with the near cliche graffiti that seems to accompany urban sports and some of the work is not bad. As there is the children's play area right next door, you will likely get a spill over of young bikers and boarders onto the park in the summer or at weekends. Whilst I've only experienced the park as a spectator, there usually seems to be an amicable atmosphere for those using the ramps, but parents would want to be close by if you had younger children using the park. A nice area that adds a bit extra to the level without seeming out of place.

Visitors more familiar with the densely built up City Centre of Brighton and its Georgian…read morearchitecture will be surprised to learn just how many large parks the city has. One of the nicest, and most historic, is Stanmer Park, on the eastern outskirts of the city and adjacent to the lovely campus of the University of Sussex at Falmer. The park is set around Stanmer House, built in 1720 by the first Earl of Chichester, Thomas Pelham. Set in its own little valley, the estate includes Stanmer Village and church: the former a picturesque private village built for the estate's workers, and the latter rebuilt in 1838 when the earlier mediaeval church burned down. As with many such estates, it was planned on the principles of classic English landscape gardening, and consists of sweeping areas of lawn planted with specimen trees, all edged with woodland. Bought by Brighton Council in 1947, the grounds are now open to the public as parkland. The 'village' includes a cafe ('see separate entry under 'Stanmer Tea Rooms') and public toilets. Part of the old stable block now houses a mildly diverting small museum of rural life (free entry but rather limited opening hours) and a nursery which is open to the public, selling a wide range of plants, in what was the house's walled garden (which closes at 16h). The whole ensemble is maybe not quite as well kept as it could be, but it's nice enough. The House itself has been beautifully restored and is let as a conference and private function venue, and some of the main function rooms can be visited (again, for free) when not hired out. It contains a collection of old photographs, but most of the original contents have long since gone - however, the modern furnishings fit in well enough in a 'Country House Hotel' sort of way. However, the main reason for a visit to the Park is just to get some fresh air, in nice surroundings: it's a great place for a game of cricket or rounders, or picnic, or just a woodland walk, and is very popular with students from the nearby University and families in the summer. The park is a 15 minute walk from Falmer station, and 10 minutes from the University, but on summer Sundays and Bank Holidays there is an hourly bus service (route 78) from the centre of Brighton, via the railway station, during the day, right up to the Village and House. Car-parking is in the process of being reorganised, but is normally not a problem unless there is an event taking place.

Stanmer Park is located just off the A270 between Brighton and Lewes, right next to the University…read moreof Sussex Campus, in the village of Stanmer. It is a lovely place to walk the dog or take the kids for a run around if they need to expel some excess energy! There's a small car park, but be warned this can get packed out pretty quickly, as it seems to serve as an overflow car park for visitors to the village, church and pub! Easily accessible from Falmer village and Sussex campus, Stanmer park provides a really nice, scenic walk- it's not particularly challenging or varied, more of a light stroll around the estate's grounds. I often used to pop over to Stanmer to stretch my legs and get a change of scenery, during my first year at university, it's a really great place to have on your doorstep, which I suspect many students aren't even aware of. If you feel like exploring, you can also wander through the village, where there's a really sweet old church and a pub that do nice food. Stanmer House itself is also quite something to look at and Stanmer Nursery is nestled away at the side and is well worth a visit. This is where the council grow many of the flowers they use in displays all over the city! Oh and if you're interested in Eco living and building, be sure to check out the Earth ship, it's incredible and they do tours!

Queen's Park is exquisite in all seasons. It has a bit of everything to suit everyone…read more The play park has loads to offer the kids as far as swings and slides go and lots of patches for parents to set up camp and have a natter. The cafe is in the centre of the play park and sells yummy cakes + sarnies, well earned cups of tea and ice lollies. It boasts a huge duckpond, with an island in the middle - home to some rather large geese. Be wary if you're feeding the ducks! I've been chased by the geese several times and I'm still as frightened as I was when I was 3! I'm a bit of a big girls blouse though... There's a huge bit by the clock tower - perfect for football and picnics. There are tennis courts, a wild herb garden and a dog walking section. Getting onto the dog walking section, there is a huge row going on with the dog walkers of queens park (check out their facebook page!) and the council at the moment about the amount of space there is for the dogs. They want the old bowling green to be handed over to the dog section to make it a larger space. It's getting heated! I enjoy coming here with my pooch every morning, whatever the weather it feels magical. It's an extremely beautiful and peaceful place to be. My sons favourite part of the park is the rockery. He spends hours in there exploring and making houses in the caves, playing hide and seek. I feel very lucky to have this place just on my doorstep.

I had a really weird experience last time I was in Queen's Park. It was New Year's Day 2009 and I…read morehad hopes of walking off my wretched hang over so took myself off to the park for a stroll. What confronted me when I arrived was bizarre. Someone had, in their New Years revelry, filled the pond with shopping carts and rubbish bins! Ok so that alone just sounds like a big old destructive mess, but the pond had frozen over night, creating quite an amazing spectacle! I was torn between self-righteous indignation and 'ugh, the youth of today' thoughts and thinking it actually looked like a pretty cool art installation. Anyway, enough with the storytelling. Queen's Park is a beautiful park bordered by Hanover on one side and Kemp town on the other. It's not massive, but it's perfect for a leisurely Sunday stroll before heading to 'Home' for brunch or the pub for a roast. As well as the aforementioned pond (which is usually quite normal and lovely looking) where you can feed the ducks, there is a wildlife garden, where a local herbologist holds workshops for anyone interested.

It speaks volumes about how mellow Brightonians are that I've seen people practicising yoga and…read moretai-chi in Royal Pavillion Gardens. If you go at weekends, there's often bands or solo artists playing very mellow jazz, pop or acoustic music too. In the winter, it's too cold to really sit on the grass and take in the wonder of the Royal Pavillion but in the spring and summer, the gardens are usually flowing with locals and tourists sunbathing, chatting or reading the papers. There's deckchairs dotted around for comfort and several different areas where you can just lounge on the grass. The cafe here also does a good trade selling hot and cold drinks, cakes and snacks. To paraphrase Donovan: It's all mellow yellow...

Looking for a place to escape the city without leaving, in the Royal Pavilion Gardens is the place…read moreto do it. This idillic setting offers a peaceful retreat from the hustle and bustle of city life. Pack yourself a picnic and enjoy it on the lawns. Whenever I'm in the gardens I've been lucky enough to catch some amazing live music. A recent favourite was the Sitar player accompanied by the dancing scarf lady. What's not to love!

This is a small but attractive park north of Seven Dials, with formal terraces, a children's play…read morearea, soccer pitch, bowling green and 6 tennis courts, as well as public toilets. On the upper terrace, with views towards the sea, is a small but well-known (and recommended) cafe, serving hot and cold drinks, sandwiches, baguettes, light meals, snacks, cakes and ice-creams. This is open Monday-Friday 9-18h and on Saturday and Sunday 10-18h. (Contact details: (01273) 554441). The park was established in 1924, having formerly been an area of market gardens and allotments. The central area has formal gardens with a geometrical layout, defined by clipped Yew hedges, as well as ornamental shrubberies and herbaceous borders, and is popular place for pensioners especially to sit and enjoy the summer sun in a quiet, sheltered spot. The cafe is also a great place to stop when it's cold, as it has great views and serves great hot chocolate! The park is on the 27 bus route into Brighton.

This park isn't huge put it's a great resource if you live near this end of town, which although…read morecentral is 30 mins away from the beach. There's space enough for games and bbqs in the summer, as well as a cafe, a pretty small rose garden, a football pitch, bowling green and tennis courts. You'll also get a great view of the sea from here. It doesn't seem to be too well known as when I lived nearby I'd often head to the park to read in the hot summer and it'd be really peaceful save the odd jogger and dog walker.

Dorset Gardens is either a small park or a large garden, depending how you look at it…read more It provides a nice retreat from the business of St James St, especially if you can't be bothered to walk further on to Queens Park! It can be a little dirty and does attract some of the less salubrious members of society, but it's still a pleasant place to while away summer afternoons with friends.

What an idiot! So…read moreI've lived in Brighton (well half of me has, the other half of me is living in London on some days) for nearly 3 years now. I must obviously always head down towards the beach/town when I'm going out but if you head up from my flat this park is a 2 minute walk and I'm embarrassed to say I only found out about it a few weeks ago! I had a lovely walk around the park on a warm day, stopping to chill out on a bench watching the ducks on the pond in the centre of the park which is really pretty. The park has a fairly big children's playground where most of the visitors seemed to be congregating. This place is perfect for picnics and there were a couple of benches/tables dotted around too where you could eat easily. This is really a great spot if you want a more quiet secluded hangout place away from tourists and the hustle and bustle of town and somewhere as a change of scenery from the beach. It definitely seemed like a locals place. Oh and you get to see Sophie's face on the poster on the notice board here...what more do you want!

Had a lovely afternoon in the park. I go with my friend and work out by the tennis courts. The park…read moreis clean and lovely on a sunny day. Ideal for kids with a big adventure park and duck pond. Also great to see loads of dog walkers being civil and having a laugh. My only negative is to be carefull after dark as we were leaving small grps of late teens drinking cheap cider sprawled out being loud