The Level

The Level is a large public park in Brighton with the sort of mix parents quietly appreciate: a playground, open grass, a skate area, table tennis and a water feature for hot days. It sounds like a place you can use for a quick walk, a longer leg-stretch or a basic meet-up with children of different ages. The best bits are the free, flexible spaces. Kids seem to love the water feature and playground, while older children can get a kick out of the skaters. There’s also a café and toilets mentioned in the reviews, which always helps when you’re trying to make a park trip last longer than twenty minutes. The catch is that this isn’t a polished, stress-free family destination. Several reviews mention fighting, robbery, police activity and drug needles on the grass and near the toilets. On a good day it sounds excellent; on a bad day, not somewhere to faff about. Use normal city-park caution and don’t expect a pristine country-park experience.