Just back from Prague and with new reviews to write :)
Just back from Prague and with new reviews to write :)
Member since:09.03.2007
Reviews:36
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I have lived in Newcastle all my life. I went to College and University in Newcastle and have sampled Newcastle's nightlife for as long as I can remember. Without wanting to sound biased, it really is a city that has something for everyone.
The city ====== Built on the banks of the River Tyne Newcastle is a relatively small city with a population of about 250,000 (from the last census). Also generally included with the Newcastle area are parts of Gateshead and North Tyneside.
The city centre of Newcastle is very compact with pretty much everything to see and do within the city can be done by walking. For attractions further out of the city centre, Newcastle is covered by an extensive bus network and also a light rail network (the Metro), which covers the areas towards the coast and also to Sunderland (although I wouldn't recommend anyone went there).
Newcastle also has the benefit of being very close the coast with the beaches of Tynemouth and Whitley Bay being a short metro ride away and within easy driving distance is the beautiful North Northumberland coast, the lake district, the Cheviots, Scotland, Yorkshire Dales…basically a lot of things are within easy travelling distance.
Getting there ==========
By car: The A1 is the major road that passes Newcastle, running from Scotland all the way down to London, linking with roads such as the M1 at various points. The A69 runs from Cumbria east, finishing at Newcastle and this gives good links to the M6.
By train: Newcastle is on the East Coast mainline
meaning that connections from London and Scotland are regular and reliable. In addition Virgin run a cross-country train, which goes to places such as Birmingham and Bristol.
By air: Newcastle airport is about 6 miles outside the city centre and is rapidly expanding. All of the budget airlines run services from here, serving places such as Bristol, Cardiff, Stansted etc plus the major carriers also run from here, including BA.
Accommodation ============ A wide range of accommodation is available, from 4* hotels (the Hilton, Copthorne, Marriot and Malmaison are all represented here) down to cheap and comfortable guest houses. A lot of the accommodation in the city centre seems to be of the "Holiday Inn" ilk and is generally popular with the stag/hen nights, so don't go there expecting a quiet nights sleep.
Things to see and do =============== As mentioned previously the main sights in the city centre are within easy walking distance. A sample of them are as follows:
Quayside area: The quayside area of Newcastle has been completely redeveloped in the last few years and is one of the jewels in the crown of the city. The river has several bridges spanning it in a short distance including the Tyne Bridge, which was allegedly used as the design for the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the mesmeric Millennium Bridge (especially at night) and the swing bridge. In addition, if you are a fan of modern art then the Baltic art gallery is worth a visit and there is also an oddly shaped music hall (the Sage), which is worth a visit. The quayside area also has some old castle ruins, which are interesting.
City Centre: Up from the quayside (when I say up, I mean up a BIG hill) is the city centre. Main attractions here include the Eldon Square shopping complex, Greys Monument (at the time of writing it is closed, but you used to be able to go up to the top) and various art galleries and museums (all free).
Outer city centre: Near the station is the "Centre for Life", which is an interactive museum with different attractions at various times. Nearby is the Discovery museum, which is well worth a visit as well. This area round the centre for life also forms the gay area at night time.
Away from the city centre you can easily travel to the coast (metro to North Shields, Whitley Bay, Tynemouth or Cullercoats). There are various attractions here, including the sea-life centre and Tynemouth Priory. It is possible to walk from North Shields all the way to Whitley Bay along the sea front (about a four mile walk) as well.
To the west of the city on the banks of the Tyne is a place called Newburn, which is the start of a walk that can be undertaken to a place called Wylam, which is a lovely village on the banks of the Tyne. The return walk is about 6-8 miles and can be extended if required, but the majority of the walk is along the river bank and especially in summer is very pretty.
As mentioned previously as well outside of the city are many attractions, but the one that a lot of people go for is the North Northumberland coast. Within an hours drive you can see the castle where part of Harry Potter was filmed and go to Bamburgh with is spectacular castle, overlooking the golden sands and stop off in Seahouses for fish and chips and a play in the arcade.
Newcastle is also well covered by cycle routes and indeed, starting from Newcastle you can ride to Edinburgh or go to Whitehaven in Cumbria, all using official cycle routes.
If shopping is your thing then the Metro Centre is just a few miles outside the city centre. Once the largest shopping centre in Europe it has miles and miles of shops, restaurants and more shops, which is why I avoid it as much as feasibly possible.
Eating out ======== The city centre has a lot of restaurants, catering for all the different types of food you can imagine. My favourites at the moment are:
- Latif's. An Indian restaurant, not too far from the station it does fantastic curry and is a great place to go after a few beers. - El Torero. Just up from the Quayside this tapas restaurant does fantastic food, but is quite pricy. Kubla Khans. This is a Mongolian, all you can eat restaurant and is worth a visit. - Stowell Street. This is the Chinese area, with a variety of restaurants including the 'all-you-can-eat' Mr Laus and various others. - Nandos. In the Gate complex this does great chicken at cheap prices. In addition there are the usual chain restaurants, Pizza Hut, Frankie and Bennies etc. - Slug and Lettuce. Bar that does good food as well.
Nights out ======== Newcastle is justifiably famous for its nightlife (and yes it is true that we all wear t-shirts in sub-zero temperatures). The drinking areas are all easily reached on foot and are split into the following rough zones.
- The Bigg Market. This is the place where the younger end of Newcastle's drinking spectrum go. All of the bars, without fail are pumping out music at 180 decibels and the average age down there is about 16. I used to go when I was younger, but now I avoid it like the plague. There is a high chance of getting into a fight on a Saturday night down there as well. - Quayside. The Quayside is the "posh" area of the city, or it was until the stag and hen nights invaded. Expect to pay over the top prices for beer and not be able to move. There are several clubs down here - the 'exclusive' Sea, the cheesy Baja Beach club and the downright awful Tuxedo Princess, set on a rusty boat with punters to match. - The Gate. The Gate has opened in the last few years and has a wide variety of bars, restaurants and a casino. I have noticed recently that people who would normally confine themselves to the Bigg Market have started coming here and as such there is noticeably more security in the last few months. - The Haymarket. Bit of an odd one this. The Haymarket used to be a popular area, but since the Gate has opened it seems to be a lot popular. It is very close to the two universities though so a lot of the patrons tend to be students. - The Gay area. Next to the centre for life the gay area has quite a few bars catering mainly for the gay community, but often people coming back from concerts at the Arena will stop in as well. - The area from Swan House to the station. This is basically one long road (over a mile I would estimate), with a wide variety of bars from the massive and expensive bar 55 to the equally as large, but even more extortionate Apartment. The bars beside the station are not too bad however and one, The Centurion at the Central station is a great place to watch the football.
Conclusion ======== Well there you have it. A summary of Newcastle in…well quite a few words actually. I am sure there are things I have missed, but hopefully it will give you an idea of what the city is like. Definitely worth a visit!
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I endorse much of what you say - I have visited Newcastle many times for work and leisure and it enjoyed every time bar once (when I saw my team get beaten 6-1!)
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Advantages: It's the place I call home so I have the inside knowledge on this lively and friendly city Disadvantages: Newcastle is in danger of disappearing up it's own backside
fizzytom 29.12.2003 (29.12.2003)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Newcastle (England)
Advantages: Lively, cosmopolitan city surrounded by stunning countryside and coast. Disadvantages: None really - something for everyone - but wrap up outdoors!
exceptional by (9%):
very helpful by (88%):
helpful by (3%):
