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Posted April 27, 2015

Student City Guide: Newcastle

Newcastle is one of the popular choices for students studying postgraduate courses. With over 50,000 students living in the city, it is pretty important to scheme for students here. It is the students that make Newcastle such a modern, vibrant and youthful city. The city will present you with several beautiful places to go and things to experience, but its bigger size can make it a little overwhelming, especially if you come from home to a place where you don’t know anybody. Here are a few things that any student moving to Newcastle must know.

Getting Around

Newcastle is surrounded by dramatic landscape and scenery, including the two world heritage sites of Durham Castle and Cathedral and Hadrian’s Wall, which you can easily reach by bus or train. Within 15 minutes from the city centre, you can find yourself at the glorious North Sea coast, or in the peace and tranquility of the surrounding countryside. The Newcastle airport is just six miles north of the city with regular international and domestic flights. The central train station is on the east coast mainline and well connected to the major cities across the UK. There is also a daily ferry from the international ferry terminal at the north shields, just seven miles to Amsterdam. However, the easiest way get around the city is by using the local train services: you will definitely pay less than you would do the buses and avoid getting stuck in traffic jams.

Places to Go

Walk upstream along the Tyne towards the Byker area of Newcastle, which is famous for its Byker Grove. It is a unique area with many excellent pubs and artists’ studios as well as a flourishing city farm underneath the Byker Bridge. Newcastle boasts a rich collection of galleries, museums, music and theatre venues to inspire and entertain students. The Gate cinema and leisure complex has more than 12 screen cinema alongside a range of bars, restaurants and clubs, all under one roof. Visit the Art Deco Tyneside Cinema show for an electric range of new, international, cult and old-time classic films. When it is warm, the beaches at the Southern Shield are a must visit, just a few minutes bus ride from the city and boasts aquariums and some cracking fish, chips as well as unique seaside attractions. If you have some spare hours, head to the Discovery Museum and discover the history of Newcastle; learn all about life at Life Science Centre, or simply climb the 132 steps to the top of the Castle Keep for an excellent views across the city. Visit the Quaryside area via the Gateshead Millennium Bridge. The area has a lot of clubs, pubs, hotels and restaurants, plus the famous Baltic Centre for Contemporary.

Where to Shop

Newcastle is a paradise for shoppers. The newly extended Eldon Square Shopping Centre has over 160 shops and has a brand new restaurant. The gift shop at The Biscuit Factory gallery boasts a wide selection of unique jewellery and home wear. The Monument Mall is the home to the popular restaurants and high-end shops, including Jamie’s Italian and The Botanist. The Northumberland Street is the main shopping street leading to Grainger Town. You also will find a beautiful blend of galleries, restaurants, record shops and vintage stores on High Bridge. Newcastle has one of the Britain’s best and the Europe’s largest shopping and leisure complex, Metrocentre, in Gateshead. It is very easy to get by public transport and free car parking is always available. During your free time on the weekend, you can enjoy can walk down the Quayside whilst shopping from the many stalls, offering a range of food, arts and crafts, plants and many more.

Sports and Recreation

Football is something of religion in the city. If you are a football enthusiast, the Newcastle United Foot Club is situated at the St. James’s Park, right at the heart of the city. If you love flutters, Newcastle Racecourse, a few kilometres north of the city centre, hosts over 40 race days yearly. Head to the Kingston Park, where you can watch great games of rugby league teams such as the Newcastle Thunder and Newcastle Falcons. The universities themselves allow students to participate in various types of sporting activities, so you will get yourself covered.

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