Drom_Editor on 19/7/2010 at 11:53
So it's been a very long time since I've posted on here, but I've been lurking on and off every now and then. Thought I'd stop by and say hey to everyone and ask about traveling to England.
I'll be traveling to Newcastle tomorrow and getting in Wednesday morning for a conference. The conference goes Wed, Thurs, Fri, and I have all of those evenings and Saturday to do whatever I want (my girlfriend is coming along, so I'd like to find some really cool things to do together).
Have any of you been to Newcastle? Are any of you from Newcastle? Any suggestions on what to do, to stay away from, where to get a pint of Newcastle? Any traveling tips for someone whose first trip it is out of the US? Thanks!
Brian The Dog on 19/7/2010 at 12:10
Strangely enough, I went to a conference at Newcastle 2 weeks ago. I was impressed with the architecture in the city centre. There's a big statue of Earl Grey in the centre of the city which is impressive, and the Newcastle United stadium (St. James' Park) is definitely worth a visit, especially since it's in the centre of the city and is the 3rd biggest stadium in the Premier League.
For places to avoid, the only thing I'd say is that the clubs are famous for their wall-to-wall drinking at the weekend, but I'd definitely check out the archetypal English pubs during the week, since you're coming from the States. Try and get Newcastle Brown Ale, which the city is famous for.
Edit - On Saturday, I'd go to neighbouring Durham, which has a castle and cathedral that is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Definitely worth a visit if you want to see some English history.
Ulukai on 19/7/2010 at 19:34
I'd recommend going down to the redeveloped area around the (
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltic_Centre_for_Contemporary_Art) Baltic Art Centre, have a mooch across the (
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gateshead_Millennium_Bridge) Millennium Bridge and take in the view (which is actually pretty impressive) from either the bridge or the top of the Baltic (which is free entry iirc). This area was where they filmed parts of the original
(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067128/) Get Carter, although it's barely recognisable now. For shopping, either the city centre or a visit to the (
http://www.metrocentre.uk.com/) Metro Centre, which is one of the largest shopping malls in Europe (maybe you'll score points with your other half)
As Brian says, Durham is well worth a visit too, and a lot more picturesque than Newcastle.
As a Saturday alternative, (
http://www.beamish.org.uk/Home.aspx) Beamish open air victorian museum is brilliant if you feel like getting a bus or hiring a car. (
http://www.beamish.org.uk/FlashMap/map.html) Interactive Map.
In general, the people, and in particular, Newcastle girls - are great. I know, I live with one :)
You might struggle with the (
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geordie) Geordie accent, too. Hell, I'm from this country and sometimes I can't understand what they're saying half the time, so don't worry about it...
Koki on 19/7/2010 at 20:13
Don't forget to bring a towel.
Drom_Editor on 19/7/2010 at 22:00
Quote Posted by Koki
Don't forget to bring a towel.
Haha, yeah, I checked the weather and am looking at two partly cloudy days and two rainy days. Oh well, I'm sure I'll get over it and see the city anyway...we'll be bringing umbrellas.
I'll definitely be seeing the bridges, and trying to make it to the Newcastle United stadium. My adviser went there and has some pictures--very impressive.
What about getting around? Are all the cabs cash only? Do they usually have change? It looks like we'll be able to get around almost exclusively on foot, so the only cab ride I may take is from the airport to the hotel and vice-versa.
Thanks for the suggestions...I'm really looking forward to it :D
Brian The Dog on 19/7/2010 at 22:12
Yes, the accent will be interesting for you :ebil: We had great fun getting one of our Iranian colleagues to try and replicate it.
Newcastle itself is pretty small for a city, so you can walk around it. Cab fares are quite cheap, it'll only be a few pounds ($5) to get to most places in the city. For Durham I'd recommend going by train, it's the next train stop south on the route from Edinburgh to London. Newcastle has a basic underground train network, although we never used it as it was easy enough to walk everywhere.
Nicker on 19/7/2010 at 23:15
Carry coal.
Fingernail on 20/7/2010 at 07:57
Yeah, the couple of times I've been there the city centre is lovely - the view around the river with the bridges, Baltic and the Sage concert hall (the big glass armadillo thing - worth a walk through) is great.
SubJeff on 20/7/2010 at 11:38
Brown ale is horrible though. Durham is really nice, especially the walks by the river and cathedral.
