Introduction

Newcastle is the unofficial capital of north-east England. A city of both tradition and innovation, where old and new comfortably co-exist, it inspires a fierce loyalty among its “Geordie” population. But it is a cosmopolitan place (famed for its hospitality), which has accepted many immigrant groups, and welcomed generations of students to its universities. Here is a look at some of central Newcastle's most notable areas.

Bigg Market - The area known as “the Bigg Market” actually comprises Bigg Market, Groat Market, and Cloth Market. The offices of the Newcastle's local newspapers are situated here. A small fruit and vegetable market operates three days a week in the recently prettified square, where wooden seating provides a welcome rest for shoppers. But it is after dark that the place really comes alive, offering the loudest, brashest, nightlife in the city. With 15 pubs you can have a pub crawl without walking more than a hundred yards. Takeaways selling pizzas, kebabs, Chinese food, and baked potatoes give ample opportunity for soaking up excess beverage. If you prefer to eat sitting down, choose Kentucky Fried Chicken or Pizza Hut. For something more formal there are Greek and Indian restaurants.

Grey Street - From its towering column, the statue of Earl Grey (who instituted major electoral reforms in the nineteenth century, but is probably best remembered for the tea that bears his name) gazes along what former Poet Laureate Sir John Betjeman once called the finest curved street in England. Although generally quieter than the bustling streets around it, it does have pubs, restaurants, cafes, and a few shops. It also boasts the Victorian splendour of the Theatre Royal, which is regularly visited by prestigious touring companies, most notably the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Haymarket - Adjacent to the main campuses of both universities, Haymarket understandably caters for students, with an academic bookshop (necessary evil), banks (for acquiring those overdrafts), takeaways (because students never cook), and an Oxfam shop (student heaven). Marks and Spencer is here, and also entrances to the Eldon Square and Eldon Garden shopping centres. There are several pubs here, most of them popular with students. Also in this area are the Newcastle Playhouse & Gulbenkian Studio Theatre, the Museum of Antiquities, and Haymarket Bus Station. The Hancock Museum is just around the corner.

Quayside - This is the oldest part of Newcastle, and was for many years in a state of decay. Recently, however, the decline has been reversed. Some of the old warehouses and residences (many dating back to the sixteenth century) have been converted into pubs, restaurants, and apartments without compromising the original architecture. Complementing the renovation there has been recent construction of hotels, offices, pubs, housing, and the Crown Court. Development continues, and the Gateshead Millennium Bridge now links the Quayside with the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art across the Tyne in Gateshead.

Every Sunday there is a street market, with stalls selling clothes, books, records, and much else. Perhaps less vibrant and varied than in former years, it is still worth a visit. Other attractions include the Live Theatre in Broad Chare which specialises in innovative productions, and Bessie Surtees House in Sandhill, a rare example of timber-framed Jacobean domestic architecture. But one of the nicest things to do at the Quayside is simply to stroll. There are broad paved areas fronting the river, with seating, and a number of intriguing sculptures to look at.

The area has very few shops, but with a couple of dozen pubs, varying from the trendy to the traditional, four night clubs, a handful of hotels, and more than twenty restaurants offering various cuisines and spanning the spectrum from the affordable to the exclusive, the Quayside is the place for anything from a quiet business lunch to a noisy Saturday night out.

Stowell Street - Newcastle's Chinatown, where even the litter bins and telephone kiosks resemble pagodas. With more than fifteen varied restaurants and an express takeaway, there should be something here to suit all palates and all pockets. There is also a Chinese supermarket, a craft shop that offers advice on Feng Shui, a couple of oriental herbalists, and the offices of the North East Chinese Association. Chinese New Year is marked with colourful parades featuring dragon dances.