Brighton houses some of the wealthiest citizens in Melbourne with grand homes, and the development of large residential blocks of land. On the beach, Beach Road is a popular cycling route, with the Bay Trail off-road walking/cycling tracks also following the coastline. Dendy Street Beach, just south of Middle Brighton, features 82 colourful bathing boxes, which are one of the tourist icons of Melbourne. The boxes share a uniformity of size and build, and a regular arrangement along the beach, and are the only surviving such structures close to the Melbourne CBD. A Planning Scheme Heritage Overlay on the boxes by the Bayside City Council restricts alterations, and all retain their Victorian era architecture, such as timber frames, weatherboard sidings, and corrugated iron roofs.
Between Middle Brighton Beach and Sandown St Beach are the historic moderne Middle Brighton Municipal Baths, Royal Brighton Yacht Club, and the Middle Brighton Pier and breakwater. North Road in Brighton features many old churches and residences. The North Road Pavilion is a popular cafe which has an outlook of Port Phillip Bay, while the beachfront features stunning views toward the Melbourne city skyline.
Brighton is serviced by the Gardenvale, North Brighton, Middle Brighton, and Brighton Beach railway stations on the Sandringham line. Trams also service the eastern extremities of the suburb, while there are also a range of bus services, including 216 and 219 which run to the Melbourne CBD. Several major arterial roads run near or through Brighton. The Bay Trail off-road bicycle path passes through the Brighton foreshore.