anyone living in Newcastle, NSW
Apr 25th 2004, 12:49 pm
#1
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Joined: Apr 2004
Location: Newcastle
Posts: 3
anyone living in Newcastle, NSW
Anyone living in the Newcatle (nsw) area, what is it like ?.
Apr 25th 2004, 6:30 pm
#2
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Joined: Mar 2004
Location: Cleveland QLD
Posts: 165
I do not have personal knowledge of the area but my cousin lives in Belmont a suburb of Newcastle. Newcastle itself is very industrialised "so I believe lots of steel works". We have looked at property websites and the suburbs of Newcastle seem a bit pricey in comparison to Brisbane or Melbourne. Since we decided we wanted to go to OZ our plan was always to go to Newcastle we have recently decided that Brisbane has more appeal for us. Thank You to all on this site who have provided so much information. If I have got it wrong about Newcastle them I am sure that you will get more info from thie site.
Helen (Mrs Nige).
Helen (Mrs Nige).
Apr 25th 2004, 7:21 pm
#3
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Joined: Jun 2003
Location: ferndown dorset
Posts: 55
Newcastle is not what it used to be!
You're in luck! I've been in Newcastle recently, albeit only for a short stay. I also lived there 15 years ago so I have a fair idea of what its like.
The surrounding areas of Newcastle around the Lake (warners bay, eleebanna etc) are very beautiful some new housing devs in the hills and it can be a bit pricey round there but a nice place to be for sure.
The suburbs nearer to Newcastle are a bit less green, more developed older housing etc but they have grown and become self sufficient with shopping arcades etc.
Newcastle I'm really sorry to say has taken a turn for the worse, The big Steel works closed about 10 years ago and since then It seems things have been quite bad. There are lots of boarded up shops, loads of empty units pubs closed etc etc. You get the picture I hope? There seem to be youth centres on every corner drug clinics etc It really has a bad feel about it. One shop - surrounded by many closed units - even had a sign in the window saying "yes we are finally going out of business and moving too"
Someone at the petrol station told me that the rail link into Newcastle is being closed in the next few months!!!! That will surely kill it off in my opinion.
There is a brighter future for Newcastle I'm sure. They have recently redeveloped all of the harbour area, building new luxury apartments which are being snapped up. There was a hotel right on the beach looking out at the lighthouse which was offering a special room rate as it was its last night of trading! LOL It is being knocked down and turned into luxury apartments which says something! There's also a fantastic new hotel called the crown plaza which has stunning rooms with harbour views and is mainly set up for business people with conf rooms etc.
In the paper most of the news is relating to the change of industry and the growth of ind estates and land required for more industrial buildings. The overall picture states that Newcastle is a good place for new business growth and it seems that there will be an upturn in things at some time. There are lots of negatives about crime, drug use etc too!
This is only my opinion, but we considered Newcastle as a place to migrate to, close to Sydney for visits but large enough to live and prosper without having to be in the City. A beautiful area without question, lake Macq, Catherine hill bay, warners bay are all beautiful, Newcastle Uni has a great reputation and has a higher entry level than most Sydney Unis! Having been there we have changed our views, we don't feel that the area has good job prospects, the 'feel' of Newcastle is quite intimidating, we don't feel the kids will have a good future and on top of all that the housing is still quite expensive in comparison to other parts of Aus. Another 10 years and hopefully it might be back to the old Newcastle I remember. Hope this helps?
Mart
The surrounding areas of Newcastle around the Lake (warners bay, eleebanna etc) are very beautiful some new housing devs in the hills and it can be a bit pricey round there but a nice place to be for sure.
The suburbs nearer to Newcastle are a bit less green, more developed older housing etc but they have grown and become self sufficient with shopping arcades etc.
Newcastle I'm really sorry to say has taken a turn for the worse, The big Steel works closed about 10 years ago and since then It seems things have been quite bad. There are lots of boarded up shops, loads of empty units pubs closed etc etc. You get the picture I hope? There seem to be youth centres on every corner drug clinics etc It really has a bad feel about it. One shop - surrounded by many closed units - even had a sign in the window saying "yes we are finally going out of business and moving too"
Someone at the petrol station told me that the rail link into Newcastle is being closed in the next few months!!!! That will surely kill it off in my opinion.
There is a brighter future for Newcastle I'm sure. They have recently redeveloped all of the harbour area, building new luxury apartments which are being snapped up. There was a hotel right on the beach looking out at the lighthouse which was offering a special room rate as it was its last night of trading! LOL It is being knocked down and turned into luxury apartments which says something! There's also a fantastic new hotel called the crown plaza which has stunning rooms with harbour views and is mainly set up for business people with conf rooms etc.
In the paper most of the news is relating to the change of industry and the growth of ind estates and land required for more industrial buildings. The overall picture states that Newcastle is a good place for new business growth and it seems that there will be an upturn in things at some time. There are lots of negatives about crime, drug use etc too!
This is only my opinion, but we considered Newcastle as a place to migrate to, close to Sydney for visits but large enough to live and prosper without having to be in the City. A beautiful area without question, lake Macq, Catherine hill bay, warners bay are all beautiful, Newcastle Uni has a great reputation and has a higher entry level than most Sydney Unis! Having been there we have changed our views, we don't feel that the area has good job prospects, the 'feel' of Newcastle is quite intimidating, we don't feel the kids will have a good future and on top of all that the housing is still quite expensive in comparison to other parts of Aus. Another 10 years and hopefully it might be back to the old Newcastle I remember. Hope this helps?
Mart
Apr 25th 2004, 7:52 pm
#4
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Joined: Mar 2004
Location: Cleveland QLD
Posts: 165
Thanks Mart,
Your post has convinced me that Newcastle isn't the right place for us and we feel confident that we are making the right decision to look elsewhere.
Helen (Mrs Nige)
Your post has convinced me that Newcastle isn't the right place for us and we feel confident that we are making the right decision to look elsewhere.
Helen (Mrs Nige)
Apr 25th 2004, 8:13 pm
#5
Forum Regular
Joined: Jun 2003
Location: ferndown dorset
Posts: 55
No problem, I wish it was a different picture but our visit convinced us that at the present time there were better places to settle.
Regds
Mart
Regds
Mart
Apr 25th 2004, 8:40 pm
#6
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Joined: Apr 2004
Location: Arrived in Brisbane - 5th August '04.
Posts: 146
Re: anyone living in Newcastle, NSW
Originally posted by ozzyozzyozzy
Anyone living in the Newcatle (nsw) area, what is it like ?.
Anyone living in the Newcatle (nsw) area, what is it like ?.
Hi,
I lived in Newcastle, from birth until i was 14, then we left for the UK.
It took me 25 years to get back there, which was just last year.
As a teenager, i remember the City as a really busy and happening place to be, but as some of the other posts say it is a different story now days, which was very sad for me personally to see. One of the other posts said about shops boarded up, well it is very true, & it seemed to me that about 1 in 4 seemed to be in this condition.
The reason that we finally made the trip "back home" last year was that we are moving back there later this year, i knew that Newcastle was not going to be an option for us to move to, our trip there was just for me really to look back on where i grew up, i wish that we had not gone now and that i had just kept the memories of a teenager in my mind.
Sorry to anyone from or in Newcastle who reads this, and i really hope that it is not too long before something "Big & positive" happens there.
Well, for us anyway, we are heading for Brisbane.
Good luck in your search for a City or Town.
Mark.
