It is no wonder that many of my new neighbours are also people from London."Just 10 miles up the road, there is one two-bedroom top floor apartment remaining at Nautilus, CDC2020's Regency-esque gated development on the Worthing seafront, with underground parking, a lift and terrace overlooking a Mediterranean-style landscaped courtyard. Priced at £375,000, the apartment is ready to buyers to move in immediately.Adrian Fenwick, sales director of Bellway South East, is currently selling 12 apartments at Baltic Wharf next to Bellway's Harbourside East scheme in Littlehampton. Prices start at £200,000."We work in London, but were drawn to Brighton because of its relaxed atmosphere, trendy restaurants and fashionable shops," says Ronan, a project designer. A rising number of Londoners are relocating to the popular seaside resort, transforming it into a southerly Londinium-on-sea. Ronan and Laura O'Brien, a couple in their twenties, and their son Drew, have just swapped a one-bed flat in Maida Vale for a two-bedroom apartment at 1897 - a London Town scheme on Richmond Terrace which has converted the former Brighton College of Technology into 48 homes overlooking a central park. King Sturge (0161 238 7400) is selling a two-bed apartment over the fourth and fifth floors of Jackson's Warehouse for £225,000.

The converted warehouse has many original features and views over the canal basin. A two-bed two-bathroom apartment at Castlegate with similar watery vistas and a city centre skyline beyond costs £334,950.. Every day, more than 12,000 commuters travel from Brighton into central London. It is unique on at least three counts: it goes beyond current building regulations; unusually, the development is not small-scale but for 650 properties; and the land belonged to the National Trust, which is a partner in the project.John Grime, land and planning director for Redrow Homes north-west, hopes to demonstrate that the same - indeed, higher - standards of efficiency can be achieved by volume housebuilders using traditional design In other words, they won't have to look wacky to work "People don't have a choice at present.

Apartments at The Leftbank are available through FPDSavills (0161 834 7979).As in Newcastle, the re-sale market for property next to the water is thriving. With sleek contemporary design, ISDN lines and a 24-hour concierge, this indicates how far the city centre has come over the last few years, mainly prompted by urban waterside regeneration. And at Bellway's Aln View (01665 864500) in the village of Lesbury just outside Newcastle, one five-bed detached house with fishing rights to the River Aln remains, priced at £799,000.All the apartments have sold at Stretford Marina, a new Westbury Homes' development on the Bridgewater Canal due for completion in May. Of the original 24 apartments and 100 houses, there are 26 townhouses and detached homes left. Prices are from £169,995 to £279,995 through Reeds Rains (0161 865 1567).The Leftbank, part of Manchester's Spinningfields development in the new business quarter overlooking the Irwell, has two- and three-bed apartments from £223,000.

The flat, with both en suite and a separate bathroom, has impressive views of the water and bridge, covered parking and video entry. King Sturge also is marketing a three-bed duplex at Mariners Wharf on the quayside for £345,000.Bellway Homes (0191 244 6658) is marketing 600 apartments at Ochre Yards, a quayside development in Gateshead, priced from £165,000 for a large two-bed first-floor apartment. Loft-style units, in a former Victorian bonded warehouse close to the city centre, are in one of only a few quayside developments in Newcastle. Prices are from £229,995 for the 12 remaining homes, through Chesterton International (0191 211 1030). Knight Frank also is selling new build and conversions in a bonded warehouse, with 20 units left from £177,500 for a one-bed unit (0191 221 2211).Demonstrating how well waterside property retains its value, King Sturge (0191 255 4488) is selling a two-bed apartment at High Quay, Newcastle for £195,000. "A lot of money has been invested by British Waterways to restore the canal and canal basin, recreating the grassy banks and pleasant seating areas." Apartments at Mill Royd Island start from £236,950 for penthouses through Knight Frank (0113 297 9040).Charles Church has released the final phase of 64 one- and two-bed apartments at Pandongate House in Newcastle.