East Street - then & now

Then - c.1930. Most of central Brighton remained treeless until well into the 20th century and this was apparently welcomed by some visitors. (See "Trees in Brighton - an earlier opinion") The Old Steine was planted in the 1830's, but later, along Lewes Road, mature trees were removed to make way for overhead tram lines.  As Brighton continued to expand outwards new residential roads were often tree-lined, but the Old Town, Western Road, London Road, remained devoid of trees until the 1960's when the big surge in planting began. 

Now - April 2011. The property in the corner has been given a 'Georgian' makeover,  and the rather obtrusive red-brick wall of the Regency Arcade development rises in the background, but otherwise little is changed. This part of East Street is now pedestrianised which, with the mature trees, makes it an attractive spot to linger and, as can be seen, there is no shortage of seating.