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Places to See: Newcastle & the Quayside Regeneration Project

By Guest Writer Tom Kirkby: It only recently occurred to me that I’d spent all this time looking for places in and outside of the UK to travel to, when really one of the best cities of all was right under my nose. I moved to Newcastle just over a year ago, and have fallen in love with the place. Newcastle itself is quite a small city in terms of population and size of the actual urban sprawl, nearby Sunderland is actually bigger. Nevertheless, Newcastle continues to be the more desirable of the two, and by far the most cosmopolitan. Plus, from the city centre you can be at the coast or the gorgeous rolling hills of Northumberland within half an hour each way. Click Read More for additional editorial and photos of Newcastle.

Newcastle itself is an old shipping port, and the main shipyard and port of the North. The shipping industry has since died out in the area, and for many years left miles upon miles of dilapidated buildings along the river Tyne. Over the last eight years or so however, a very substantial amount of money has been invested into the quayside regeneration project, and it has, as a result, become of the most desirable places to live, not only in the city, but also in the North. The quayside now houses the cities best restaurants, hotels and converted loft apartments, and is a mere stones throw from the city centre.

Newcastle is also a city bursting with variety. The city and the surrounding area is often used as a testing ground for large companies as it has the biggest variance of socio-economic groups outside of London, making it the perfect test ground for things as trivial as a new flavor of crisps.

The nightlife here is also worth mentioning. It was voted as having one of the top 10 nights out in the world, which is quite the achievement. Maybe it’s to do with the two university’s worth of students, or maybe it’s the locals ‘work hard, play harder’ attitude to living their lives. Whatever the reason, you’re sure to find something to suit your tastes, whether you’re after a place to eat, or somewhere to party. Newcastle is without doubt an undiscovered jewel of the north, and sadly often overlooked by visiting tourists to the UK. If you’re in the UK, come up north, you won’t regret it.