Welcome to NewcastleGateshead Our story

PHOTO: Council

Located in the North East of astride the iconic , PHOTO: supplied courtesy of Great Run NewcastleGateshead brings together two powerful destinations into one by Peter Langdown exciting, historic yet contemporary gateway to the region.

In the past 10 years there has been a radical change to the cityscape and infrastructure. The emergence of The in the late 90s heralded a new era which included the arrival of Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art and The Sage Gateshead.

Our reinvention has helped put us on the national and international map as a modern, compact and culturally-vibrant European city with a strong identity. Here is a place where businesses prosper and people enjoy a quality of life second to none.

The City of Newcastle combines historic Georgian buildings with magnificent new architecture of international acclaim. The museums and galleries in Newcastle fabulously portray the history of the location; while the Norman castle in the heart of the city and the Great North Museum make an interesting and fun day out. Best of both worlds NewcastleGateshead is set in the heart of , one of the most beautiful regions in the UK. It is a PHOTO: Alex Telfer vibrant, energetic city centre which Lonely Planet referred to as “the hipster capital of the North East.” This lively, exciting centre is surrounded by stunning countryside of nationally recognised tranquillity with a wonderful coastline of golden sandy beaches, all within a 30-minute travel time of the vibrant centre. The location offers the best of both worlds: a vibrant and buzzing city environment with some of the UK’s best beaches and countryside.

Newcastle is the historic city north of the river In many parts of Britain, owning your own home combine proximity to the centre with leafy connected by seven bridges with its neighbour is simply out of reach for most young avenues and excellent amenities, are ever on the south bank – Gateshead, famous for its professionals. In NewcastleGateshead, that is popular with some excellent 3-bedroom contemporary culture and iconic structures not the case. First-time buyers will find a good properties starting around the £200k mark. such as the Angel of the North, The Sage choice of affordable properties, with apartments Gateshead and Gateshead Millennium Bridge. in many areas starting below the £100,000 Families seeking safe estates with plenty of mark. Innovative projects include the BoKlok outdoor space for young children could not go Northumberland to the north with its homes in Gateshead, which have been created far wrong in Great Park, , Benton magnificent countryside, the world heritage site by Ikea and are both environmentally friendly and . of Hadrian’s Wall and spectacular coastline; and affordable. Another scheme in Walker, County Durham with the historic City of At the top end of the market and slightly further River’s Gate, offers a taste of Quayside living to Durham, heritage coast line and rural towns out of town, the areas of Darras Hall, families. and villages and North Yorkshire and Cumbria Ponteland, and are all easily accessible for a day or short In the and Saltwell area, near to provide executive homes in semi-rural break. Gateshead’s award-winning , locations. period properties are being given a new lease On the stunning coast and of life. With new family homes to come, this will are popular with families and ensure this is an attractive area for families and Home sweet coastal activities ensure a year-round couples alike. community. Hexham and its nearby rural home For family homes, there is a vast range villages to the west are also popular. To the depending on your priorities and budget. A north of the city, Morpeth is an attractive market From carefully restored Victorian terraces to popular new build development has been town offering a more rural lifestyle but with local contemporary city-centre apartments to Staithes South Bank, on Gateshead Riverside amenities close by. South of the river towards semirural locations, the region offers a wealth and in easy reach of the MetroCentre and the , the suburb of East Boldon offers of choice in accommodation. The costs of A1. Designed by Wayne Hemingway and built attractive family homes with the city centre housing are highly competitive with average by Wimpey Homes, these properties bring a served by the nearby Metro route. house prices in Newcastle at £116,507 and distinctive style to the new build market. Gateshead at £93,763. They remain some of Leisure and community facilities in each of the best in the country, meaning your money If you prefer older properties, suburbs such as these areas are well represented, providing goes a lot further. , and , which entertainment and amenities for residents.

A range of properties available can be found at www.rightmove.co.uk including:

£300k 3 bed roomed house £199,950 3 bed roomed semi £120,000 2 bed roomed semi £109,950 studio apartment, with front and rear garden in detached house, rear garden in detached house in Walkerdene Baltic Quay Gateshead Gosforth Low fell Our health provision has an international reputation. The Freeman Hospital has pioneering expertise in transplant surgery for both adults and children and is one of Europe’s leading lung transplant centres. The Strong hearts National Health services, as well as being some of the best in the country, are also significant employers, including Royal Victoria Infirmary, the Freeman and Queen Elizabeth hospitals. and minds Education here also has a strong reputation, with a fantastic choice of excellent state and private schools. Founded in 1545, Newcastle's Royal Grammar School is steeped in tradition, while both Central High and Church High all- girls schools offer superb learning environments.

There’s a plethora of great state schools in the area all with excellent Ofsteds and offering great SAT levels and GCSE and A level grades. Statistics show that the area consistently outperforms the national average for A-Level performance and the region hosts a huge higher education student base.

Both Newcastle and Gateshead Colleges are also continually developing. Gateshead College successfully moved to a state-of-the- art £37m site at Baltic Business Quarter, while Newcastle College has opened a new £40m Lifestyle Academy right in the heart of the city and a Renewable Energy training centre in Walker and was recently ranked as the best performing general FE college for 16-18 year olds in England.

And with five excellent universities within 25 miles of one another including: Newcastle, Northumbria, , Teesside and Durham; all levels of education are well catered for. Getting here; getting around Newcastle International Airport is just over 20 minutes’ from the city centre by either car or the light rail Metro system, and offers direct flights to and from (Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted), Dubai, Amsterdam, Brussels, Dublin, Paris and over 65 other destinations from across Europe, together with frequent flights to most major domestic hubs.

The all-weather deep sea, deep berth Port of Tyne was named Port Operator of the Year 2011 by Lloyds List, and is host to freight operations for a number of large companies such as Nissan, VW and Drax Power. The International Ferry Terminal, only seven miles east of the city centre provides regular connections to continental Europe.

NewcastleGateshead’s situation on the East Coast train mainline means it is ideally placed PHOTO: Graeme Peacock to provide short travel times to many of the city hubs in the UK with high-speed rail links providing direct access to London in 2 ¾ hours, and Edinburgh in just over an hour. And the A1 (M) motorway links the area to London, Edinburgh and other major UK cities.

The urban core is extremely compact, getting around by foot or public transport is much easier than most urban centres. The modern, integrated transport system includes the Metro system, one of only three light railway systems throughout the UK. It offers massively shorter journey times than elsewhere in the country for commuters, businesses or visitors with a The world is your oyster mere 20 minute connection time between the city and Newcastle International Airport - one North East England is a richly varied region, with a stunning coastline (much of of Europe’s fastest airport links. which is unspoilt) and vast stretches of countryside, including the North Pennies Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, named by David Bellamy as The metro system runs on three lines and ‘England’s last wilderness’. connects the airport, city centre, Tynemouth and the coast and South Shields. The service We are situated 20 minutes (by car or Heading north, Alnwick is another fine is reliable and good value and makes Metro) from the most popular beaches, all market town with the added benefit of commuting extremely easy. The bus network blue flag, at Tynemouth and . Alnwick Castle and The Alnwick Garden, both major attractions in their own right. in the region is also extensive and park & ride However, don’t forget to try some more systems ensure getting around the destination Hexham and Alnwick were recently voted secluded spots such as the wonderfully England’s Favourite Market Town and The is quick and efficient. safe beaches around Alnmouth and Best Place to Live in the UK, respectively, Bamburgh to the north, or surfing on the by Country Life magazine. beaches at South Shields and Sunderland, a short drive to the south. Northumberland The city of Durham needs little is a walker’s paradise. Walking Hadrian’s introduction – its impossibly beautiful Wall, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is cathedral must be one of Britain’s best fascinating from both an historical and recognised landmarks and is a UNESCO rurally aesthetic point of view, as well as a World Heritage site – but you may be great way to sample the typical warmth of surprised how close it is to the North Eastern people. If you’d prefer a NewcastleGateshead: a 12 minute train slightly steeper challenge, the Cheviots to journey to be precise. the north and Roseberry Topping to the south offer unprecedented views. Finally, if you want to get even further away, don’t forget how well-connected Cyclists are equally well catered for. The NewcastleGateshead is. Eight miles out of C2C cycle route, which starts in the city centre, Newcastle International Whitehaven, Cumbria and ends in either Airport flies direct to nearly 100 Sunderland or Tynemouth, attracts visitors destinations, including the Emirates long- from across the country and offers a haul route, which brings access to 85 challenging journey for cyclists of most worldwide destinations via Dubai. From abilities. the North Shields Ferry Terminal you can sail to Holland and Norway and If your idea of leisure involves less of the Scandinavia. lycra and more in the way of coffee shops and cobbled streets, look west to the market town of Hexham and the nearby village of NewcastleGateshead is just the Corbridge and their wealth of quirky start of the journey and where it boutiques, bakeries, farm shops, and cafés. ends…who knows? Life of leisure and culture With three major theatres, Northern Stage, Live Theatre and the Theatre Royal, a range of quality music venues including The Sage Gateshead, Metro Radio Arena and The O2 Academy, and renowned art spaces such as BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, The Shipley Art Gallery and The Biscuit Factory, there’s something for everyone.

For knowledge and learning, you can head to here, then visit: with a mix of high street names, top end the Discovery Museum, Great North Museum: www.newcastlegateshead.com retailers such as Fenwick and John Lewis and Hancock and the Centre for Life. And if sport independent stores. In the city centre you will is your thing, you can choose Premiership The North East is quickly becoming find everything from furniture stores to art football at St James’ Park, watch England’s recognised as a cultural centre, with festivals galleries to fashion and in Grainger Market a top cricketers at Emirates’ International Cricket and events taking place in most locations traditional mix of food & vegetables yet hidden Ground in Chester-le-St near Durham, follow across every theme. River or beach, on foot, within you will find the Marks & Spencer international athletics at Gateshead bike or boat – festivals celebrate the original penny bazaar, the world’s smallest International Stadium, or take in some of the uniqueness of the region and are community M&S store. The Metrocentre in Gateshead is north’s finest golf courses at a host of great based ensuring they are accessible and Europe’s largest shopping centre with over venues dotted around the hinterland. What’s inclusive. 340 stores, restaurants and leisure facilities more, a year-round programme of world-class Shopping is well catered for with many of the and seasonal events. Further afield you will cultural events can keep any to-do list topped urban districts offering local high street find quirky, friendly markets dotted about such up, and when you need to take a breather the provision, traditional food stores and as the Weekend market at Tynemouth Station, region offers some of the finest eating, boutiques. The main centre of Newcastle is a unique experience within the listed station drinking and socialising in the UK. For more one of Europe’s finest shopping destinations building. information on leisure, events and festivals Professional Meet the service support to Team Our team are at hand to provide you with any guidance and assistance when assist the move considering relocation to NewcastleGateshead, making your There are a wealth of professional services that can assist you in your move move trouble free. to NewcastleGateshead. www.investnewcastlegateshead.com We have a large variety of legal services, estate agents and professional relocation services to Tel 0191 440 5720 choose from. Large nationally recognised companies such as Eversheds, Dickenson Dees and Ward Hadaway have a presence in our city centre and we also have smaller locally-run services that will provide you with invaluable knowledge and a dedicated service. But why go to the trouble of sourcing these yourself? Our team can help you source these services free of charge.

Catherine Walker Investment Director [email protected]

Julie McIlwraith Senior Investment Manager [email protected]

Philip Browne, Brewin Dolphin “Moving to Newcastle with my family and firm, Brewin Dolphin, from London, has really offered a better work life balance and provided a safe and happy environment for our children with excellent schools on our doorstep. The David Bootle compactness of the city means we can get out to the coast in no time by Media and PR Manager Metro or car and explore the countryside. But with excellent transport hubs [email protected] in the city centre I can be in the office in London for 10am, without having to get up in the middle of the night! My wife and I enjoy the cultural highlights, In particular we can help you with: theatre, cinema and museums and galleries, many of which are just walking • Local knowledge of the area, the NGI team distance from where we live in Jesmond, where the houses are great too. are local and live in most parts of the region Newcastle has a real buzz and character. There is something lively and so can provide first-hand knowledge and upbeat about the place, not unlike my birthplace Dublin. The people have a guidance. great love of life; and when you see children, mums, dads and grans • Sourcing contacts for legal services, estate flocking to St James Park on a Saturday to watch the match, you know agents and professional relocation services. instantly this is a place for everyone to enjoy.” • Information on our schools and educational attainment. • Demographical and statistical information. • Tours of the local area incorporating points of interest and attractions, residential and shopping areas.