Is Newcastle a good place to live?

Are you considering a move to Newcastle? Wondering if it’s the right place for you? You’re in luck! We’ve got all the information you need to make your decision. Keep reading to find out about the great lifestyle, location and job opportunities Newcastle has to offer!

A recent satisfaction survey indicated Newcastle is a good place to live. Newcastle is one of the most satisfying area in the UK with 56% of Tynesiders saying they are “very satisfied” with life – the 10th highest area in the UK.

Lifestyle

Newcastle is a vibrant city with a lot going on. Home to the famous Geordies, Newcastle has a unique culture and nightlife unlike anywhere else in the UK! Discover all that there is to do by checking out our amazing guide here.

Location

Situated on the North Sea coast of England, Newcastle lies about two hours from the Scottish border. The city is a great base for exploring everything that this part of the UK has to offer and it is home to an estimated 300,000. It’s not far from Yorkshire and Durham, popular parts of England to visit in their own right, and easily accessible by train or coach from London. Newcastle can be found upon the north bank of the River Tyne.

Walking & Hiking Spots

Newcastle has everything you need in a city, but it’s also surrounded by some of the UK’s most breathtaking landscapes. If you’d rather see Newcastle from afar, climb up one of the seven mountain ranges that surround the city! Tosson Hill, Sighty Crag and Carter Bar are three of the highest praised mountain ranges. These mountain ranges make Newcastle a perfect place for any adventurous people who are looking to move house.

The stunning Northumberland National Park is perfect to explore on foot or bike. One of the amazing activities you can take part in at the Northumberland National Park includes stargazing. There are a few sites at the park which are perfect for stargazing. These sites are away from light pollution, provide amazing views of the night sky, and are easily accessible for all. Kielder observation site is located in the largest gold tier dark sky park in Europe. Events are run from this spot all year round. In summer this site will offer the opportunity to see shooting stars, star clusters, and the Sun’s surface. In winter you will be able to see galaxies and nebulae. It is amazing.

Tosson Hill is the highest hill in the Simonside Hills. Therefore offering some splendid views of the surrounding area. There are three lovely cafes surrounding Tosson Hill that are perfect for a cup of coffee after a long hike. The Sun Kitchen is definitely one of my favourites as it offers some delightful cakes to go along with your coffee to warm you up.

Schools & Education

 

Newcastle is one of the best places to live for families. The city has some fantastic schools including St Mary’s RC High School , Gosforth Academy and Newcastle College . Being home to 74 primary schools, 20 secondary schools, and 2 universities there are a lot of options. However it is hard to go wrong, Hadrian Junior School, Bridgewater Primary School and Riverside Primary are all outstanding choices according to Ofsted. Both universities offer a wide range of courses and successfully educated over 54,000.

Job opportunities

There are lots of job opportunities in Newcastle! Over 8,000 registered businesses operate within the area and this is not slowing down. Economic growth is on a steady rise in Newcastle, which is great for business and new job opportunities.

Newcastle has a wide range of businesses based within its city. These businesses based in the city create a large range of business opportunities in a range of industries. Some of the businesses based in Newcastle include 1DayLater  AkzoNobel, Be-Ro, Bellway, Fenwick, Formica Corporation, Go-Ahead Group, Goldsmiths, Greggs, Newcastle Building Society, Palringo, Parkdean Holidays, Reid & Sons, Tapirs Technologies, The Sage Group, Virgin Money UK, Tommee Tippee and Baltic Apprenticeships.

Newcastle is a much more affordable city to live in when compared to the other major cities in England. Expatistan estimates that for a family of four Newcastle will have an estimated monthly cost of £2,958. And for a single person there would be a monthly cost of approximately £1,440.

Weather in Newcastle

Just like anywhere in England the weather is nothing special. In winter you will see particularly low temperatures which rarely reach anywhere higher than 5 degrees.  And in the short summer months you may see it rarely reach 20 degrees.

Geordie culture

The Geordies are famous for their liveliness and friendliness. People who live in Newcastle love life and are known for having a good sense of humour. If you like sport, Newcastle United is one of the most successful teams in the UK. Newcastle United can be found playing in the premier league.  And if opera is your thing, check out Northern Stage. Currently the Northern Stage is showing At Home: Red Ellen, In Conversation with Stacey Dooley, 2065 and much more. With this broad range of shows sat on your door step it is perfect for any theatre lover.

Shopping in Newcastle

Newcastle is definitely one of the best cities in the UK to go shopping at. Being home to a multitude of shopping centres you ae spoilt with choice. Eldon Square, Central Arcade, Metro centre and The Gate are all shopping centres available to you in Newcastle. With there being 150 stores in Elden Square it is one of the largest shopping centres in England. With a wide range of shops there is something for everyone. This shopping centre offers you everything you will need for your life in Newcastle.

Transport in Newcastle

Newcastle has many useful modes of transport including the Metro, bus services, e-scooters, taxies and cycling routes.

The metro

The metro has over 60 stops which makes it perfect for travelling around Newcastle Gateshead and the surrounding areas. Pricing will vary depending upon how many zones you travel through. For a one zone travel it will cost £3.30, for a two zones journey you can expect the pricing to increase to £4.40 and finally for all zones £5.40.

The bus service

With 180 busses in Newcastle and 26 routes it is one of the most effectives modes of transport. With routes covering the whole city it is very easy to reach any destination. Busses in newcastle can be payed by contactless or cash, with prices varying with distance of the journey.

E-scooters

Newcastle has recently been working with Neuron E-scooters to populate Newcastle with a new method of transport. 100 stations for these e-scooters have been dotted around Newcastle, which allow you to collect an e-scooter. They can also be used on roads with speeds reaching 30mph as well as cycle paths. Being fuelled by 100% renewable energy makes them the perfect method to travel. When paying for usage of these e-scooters you can use their app which is free on apple and android devices. An initial fee of £1.00 will be added upon with £0.18 per minute. However, you can purchase day passes as well as monthly passes.

Taxies

Although Newcastle is an accessible city by foot taxi services are in place if it better fits your needs. Some of the main services include EastCoast Taxies, Blueline Taxies, LA Taxies and Uber. All of these companies offer apps on your phone which allow you to pre-book your taxis. Pricing will vary from service to service and depending on distance and time but if you pre-book prices are likely to be cheaper.

Cycling routes

Newcastle is a cyclist-friendly city with wider roads to make space for bikes as well as many routes through the city for easy travel. Paths are also in place to allow you to travel to reach surrounding areas of Gosforth, Jesmond, Heaton, and Ouseburn. If you are in the area without yourone bike you can go to the Cycle Hub where you can hire a bike. Pricing will vary depending on how long you use the bike for. Startig at £10 for 2 hours, £20 for half a day and £25 for a full day.

Newcastle University

Newcastle University is also located in the city, meaning you’ll have access to world-leading research in a variety of fields. You can study areas such as biomedicine, pharmacy and nursing. Not only offering an education Newcastle University is involved with research advancements. With particular strengths in areas such as aging, health, energy, cities, culture and creative arts. Some of the ways Newcastle University is changing the world includes pioneering research into bowl cancer treatment, preventing the next global pandemic and understanding/saving our oceans.

For more information about the University and studying in Newcastle check out our article here .

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