Thinking of moving to the North East

Northern_girl_2

I'm in Gateshead too. I rented in lots of different parts of Newcastle as a student but chose Gateshead when I bought for the first time because I think it is better value for money. As other posters have suggested Whickam will probably be our first choice when we next move.

The good thing about the Gateshead area is that you can still commute to the south of the region with relative ease e.g. Middlesbrough, Durham and Darlington while only being 5 minutes from Newcastle. If you are going to be working in Newcastle though then the coast or some of the market towns in Northumberland might be an option too.

Although with a 12 year old son I would choose somewhere on the metro line - you're less likely to have to play taxi as he gets older and wants to go into the toon!

mitchaa

If your looking to move up north, don't head up as far as Durham / Sunderland / Newcastle. Quite a lot poverty/problem areas with not so nice people, chavs, unemployment etc

Best place you could move to that would fit your criteria, i.e schools, nice area, friendly etc has to be York and Harrogate.

Probably the nicest part of the UK especially for people that are very friendly.

lufcgirl

That house was lovely in Whickham! The only bad bit is the traffic going into it around 5.30/6pm on an evening up Swalwell Bank and from Dunston/A1. Can get a bit congested but Fellside Park is nowhere near there!
I went for a drive about on the opposite road out of Whickham, past Burnopfield and I forgot how lovely and green it is where you go that way. It's easy to get into town too...the buses run every 10 minutes and the Metro Centre is even easier.

Join the Methodist Church there, my OH and their Dad play in the band there. It's a good place to meet people and my OH's Mum goes and does the coffee and finds us out all the local gossip!!

currynchips

mitchaa - you wanna have a little walk around Jesmond.

Whickham is the best school on that side of the river. For a nice semi-rural area I'd strongly suggest Cramlington. The houses are a little under your price range, it has excellent sporting facilities and a canny school, good roads and well linked to all the main roads in the north east. Plenty of buses also.

JF77

mitchaa wrote: »

If your looking to move up north, don't head up as far as Durham / Sunderland / Newcastle. Quite a lot poverty/problem areas with not so nice people, chavs, unemployment etc

Best place you could move to that would fit your criteria, i.e schools, nice area, friendly etc has to be York and Harrogate.

Probably the nicest part of the UK especially for people that are very friendly.

What a load of old rubbish you talk! How dare you make such a sweeping general statement about a large area you very clearly know nothing about.

I moved from Scotland over 4 years ago and have found the people to be very friendly indeed. I have made many friends none of which I would describe as chavs and they all work.

CHARDONNAY_3

I agree with the above - what a dated view of the North East!

We are some of the friendliest people in the country!

Have you been to Newcastle or Durham lately? - both are beautiful cities.

While I agree, there are some rough areas, every city has those.

The OP was looking for advice on which areas are best, not for badly researched statements which I personaly find very offensive!

In my opinion, I would recommend Jesmond or Gosforth as top of pile for Newcastle area. However I live in Gateshead and think Ryton, Rowlands Gill and Whickham would be perfect as all have good schools, nice mix of property and good village feel.

Wherever you decide, I'm sure you will settle in very happily up here in the North, despite what some misguided folk may say.

mitchaa

JF77 wrote: »

What a load of old rubbish you talk! How dare you make such a sweeping general statement about a large area you very clearly know nothing about.

I moved from Scotland over 4 years ago and have found the people to be very friendly indeed. I have made many friends none of which I would describe as chavs and they all work.

No, its not a lot of old rubbish it's opinion based on the fact i have lived in the NE, in N.Yorkshire, I've also lived down south in Berkshire, in the midlands in Shropshire and im now in Scotland.

I think you'll find my statement holds a lot of water to the unbiased eye;) No crime or chavs in Geordie land wye aye man:D You're having a laugh;)

Northeners are typically a lot more welcoming and friendlier than their southern counterparts, i definitely agree. However, the NE is rife with poverty, there are higher numbers of people on benefits, more people out of work, there is more crime, there are a lot of chavs (1 foot into the metrocentre for confirmation) wages are low, some housing estates resemble Beirut, i can go on and on.

Yes there are chavs, crime and unemployed everywhere but in comparison to the 2 places i've mentioned, Harrogate and York, they are leagues apart from their neighbours 60 miles north. Geordies and macams are friendly and welcoming people, all northeners are though.Im going to get a lot of abuse solely from the NE amongst you but to anyone not from the area, they'll agree with me on how nice the places ive mentioned are:D

We are all entitled to our opinions and i suspect if you asked 1 million random people from areas outwith the NE to choose between Harrogate/York Or Newcastle/Sunderland, all 1 million would choose Yorkshire;)

Oh and i'm from the genuine NE of the country (Britain not England)

Just as a note, Shropshire was by far the worst for rudeness and arrogance (No i'm not from there haha)

Over and out:D

lufcgirl

You sure your not that guy who said people from Sunderland should relocate to London/Cambridgeshire/Oxfordshire?!


Yes, I agree there is poverty, but you tell me a place where there isn't. People here are proud of their roots, how many people can say that? If it was so bad, there wouldn't be so many new housing estates. Newcastle was recently named as the best city to go to University for the diverse range of things to do. I've seen the best and worst of the area...I've also seen the tourist trap which is York first hand and I wouldn't want to live there. Although it is a lovely place, I couldn't cope with having my small as it is town centre over-ran with American tourists every weekend. It's cheap to live here, a good quality of life and excellent job prospects...perhaps why Sunderland is where the headquarters of Nike and several other companies are. If you find a nice place to live in the North-East (and there are several of them) then you'd be very happy.

Charvs are a part of any city you go to, it's a teenage way of life and you'll never avoid it.

greyskittles

I'd tend to agree with mitchaa... and I have lived here all my life! I would avoid most areas of Sunderland, North and South Shields... Although there are nice parts of South Shields and the seaside, but there are also some really horrible estates. Whitburn and East Boldon are nice areas too with a couple of good schools - they're just outside of Sunderland.

Sunderland city centre has good shops but it is rife with chavs. I love Newcastle city centre... If I could live anywhere in the N.East (and was rich!) I'd choose Jesmond.

JF77

I never said there was no crime or chavs in Geordie Land! but, to say avoid such a large area in case you meet a chav is pathetic!

It is the sweeping, generalisation I find truly offensive.

Would I choose certain parts of Newcastle/Gateshead over Harrogate hell yeah! but, only for my own personal reasons for example excellent transport links for my family to visit. I am sure Harrogate is a lovely place but, there are plenty of other nice places.

As for your comments on the metrocentre where do I begin. I drop my wee one off at nursery on a week day and pop to said establishment where I have a very pleasant couple of hours browsing in the many shops and stopping off for a starbucks. I have never in my four years had a bad experience in the metrocentre.