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From The Times

June 15, 2007

Focus on . . . Newcastle

LORNA BLACKWOOD

HOW IT RATES

The city is on the north bank of the Tyne Valley, which the Romans were the first to bridge. The “new castle” was built in 1080 by Robert Curthose, son of William the Conqueror. The 1600s saw the city become an important centre with the export of coal and the origin of the saying “carry coals to Newcastle”. Urban regeneration has worked wonders on the northern industrial town.

ARCHITECTURAL GEMS

Gormley’s Antony Angel of the North welcomes anyone approaching Newcastle from the south. The seven bridges crossing the Tyne to Newcastle – not least the Millennium Bridge, the world’s first tilting bridge, with its superb coloured lighting effects at night – are treasured by Geordies. “Grainger Town” in the middle of the city has some stately Victorian and Georgian architecture.

WHAT’S NEW

Two schemes in Gosforth, just outside Newcastle: Dunelm Homes’s Elmfield Square development in Newcastle’s “MiIlionaire’s Rows” area has 33 flats and townhouses for sale through Knight Frank, 0191-221 2211. McCracken Park in Gosforth consists of 18 two and three-bedroom luxury flats for sale through Sanderson Young, 0191 223 3500.

QUALITY OF LIFE

Not bad. There is an energy about the city, which is encapsulated in the Geordies themselves: proud, upbeat and blessed with the ability to party on and on.

TRAVEL

The city is served by the Tyne and Wear Metro, one of only three underground systems in the UK. Newcastle has two railway stations, Central and Manors. The airport, north of the city, has flights to worldwide destinations. The ferry terminal at North Shields has services to destinations that include Amsterdam and Gothenburg.

SMARTEST STREETS

Within the city the Quayside area is the place to live: New York-style lofts in the Turnbull Building are popular. Outside, Gosforth is the suburb of choice, with the highest concentration of millionaires in the North.

POPULATION

The Office for National Statistics has a mid-year estimate for 2005 of 276,400, with females outnumbering males by about 6,000.

BEST RESTAURANTS

For very good food try Black Door, not far from the cathedral, in a Georgian terraced house behind a . . . black door. Dating back to 1239, Blackfriars Restaurant is the oldest dining room in the UK. With church pews and monastic music, it is well worth a visit.

NIGHTLIFE

The Theatre Royal is the northern home of the RSC, National Theatre, Opera North and Rambert Dance Company. On the other side of the coin, this is hen and stag central: Bigg Market and Quayside are the areas to go for pubs and bars. Clubs abound and if you can bear teenagers unable to handle their drink, a visit to Tuxedo Royal, a club on a boat, really is a must. For all you wannabe Wags try the Sea Club.

EDUCATION

The city is home to two universities, Newcastle and Northumbria (1992). The Royal Grammar School in Jesmond is the largest independent school. State schools include Gosforth High, Heaton Manor and St Cuthbert’s School.

WORKING LIFE

The public sector comes out on top for jobs, with 39.9 per cent of the working population. Unemployment is 5.6 per cent, the same as the national average.

UPSIDE

The city is quite compact so it is ideal for a weekend break, and the abundance of nightlife will mean no time for sleep. Popular exports include Newcastle Brown Ale and the scatalogical Viz magazine.

DOWNSIDE

With so much nightlife it is hardly surprising that Newcastle is probably the hen and stag capital of the UK.

£171,216 The average property price in Newcastle Source: Halifax

11% The increase in property prices in Newcastle over the past year Source: Halifax

195% The increase in property prices in Newcastle over the past ten years Source: Halifax

15,000 New homes to be built in Newcastle by 2021 Source: Newcastle City Council