Britishbitz

Hi we have decided to move back to Newcastle area, never lived there before (Grew up in the south before moving to Aus in 93) but upon research, budget for renting/jobs, opinions and such it suits our needs.

My question is can people recommend what areas out of the city (too expensive as are all cities anywhere, for time being until we find our feet) up to an hour away train or car? So I can still commute to work.

My main concern is somewhere with good state/government secondary schools as I have two children who will need to start school asap. School would need to be within walking/biking or driving distance from home, my eldest is HF Autistic so I wouldn't be comfortable with him doing buses/trains/what not until we get to know the area/he is settled in at school etc.

Thanks in advance

Dallwright

We also lived in the south of England during the early 80's. Upon our return we determined the north would be the best choice for us. Sorry I can't speak to the schools as my wife and I are both retired but after nearly two years we are still very happy in Newcastle. Initially we were drawn to the public transportation system, Newcastle has both an excellent bus and metro system and in my view has no comparison maybe apart from London. House prices/rentals were also a major factor. Home prices in the south have risen to the point where they are probably two or maybe three times the cost of homes in the north. We were also looking for a fairly large city with the history, culture and extracurricular activities to keep us engaged. We live in the Kenton/Gosforth area which is about 5 miles from downtown Newcastle. A 10 to15 minute drive or bus ride to the center of town. If you do plan to make Newcastle your home you will need to navigate the Postal Code system. Downtown Newcastle is NE1, our area is NE3 and generally the highly the postal code the further you get from the city center. There are about 60 unique postal codes in total. This can be very helpful if you are searching for rentals in Rightmove. For example you can search for NE1 etc. One thing to consider is that Newcastle is a university town so many areas near the city center can have a higher student population. I don't have a problem with living near students but this does mean that rental prices can be higher in these areas. We started off living in Jesmond (NE4) a very nice community but found that rental prices came down considerably a couple of miles further away. If you are looking to move further away from the city Morpeth (NE61) could be a consideration. About 20 miles north of the city center. A little more expensive but a nice town.

Novocastrian

BTW Jesmond is NE2, we also rented there upon our return but only for 8 months. NE4 is Fenham, an area I would not choose. We currently live in NE6 which comprises Heaton (OK in most parts), Byker (not a good idea) and Walker which has a mix but we found a lovely place on the bank of the Tyne overlooking a pretty marina. If you're fairly fit you can walk into the City Centre along the Quayside and up Grey St. in about 45 minutes.

The OP is looking for somewhere outside the city though and I would, like you, advise staying within the area served by the Metro. Whitley Bay, Tynemouth, Cullercoats, parts of North Shields spring to mind. Kenton Bank Foot is undergoing development. Cramlington and Killingworh on the north east outskirts are worth a look an thered are too many other areas to mention. Some parts of Kenton are OK and affordable while Gosforth is quite pricey for the most part.

If the OP needs more specific advice they can PM me and I'll try to help. I'm not too good on schools though.

Tumbling_Dice

I lived in that neck of the woods for almost 13 years and whilst one still needs to be discerning, as mentioned above, there are some areas that, whilst they conjur up terrrible images, are not that bad. Walker is an example. We have our house in Dunston, from which it is a 15 minute walk to the Metrocentre, 40 minute walk along the Tyne to the bottom of Grey Street, and has a few different junctions to the A1 if the traffic gets snarled up. There are a few nutters in that area still, I will grant you, but it is a fairly tidy, friendly area with decent prices on your three bed semi if you so desire. I don't know much about schools although there is a primary school in the area which apparently has a great reputation. We were also happy enough with the bus transport and I believe there are plans to bring the railway station into proper service when they get rid of the Pacer "trains".

Chester-le-Street might also be a good shout. It is on the main railway line, decent enough centre in its own right and just off the A1. Again, I think it has had a slightly ropey reputation in the past but friends of ours moved there and couldn't be more pleased.

I hope that helps.

Britishbitz

Thank you all for your feedback, it has all been noted. I will look up some Schools in the areas mentioned. It gives me something to work with

ETA: If anyone does read this post and does have some School recommendations, it would still be appreciated too

Novocastrian

Hi BB,

The reason most of us here are no help on schools is that we are mostly retirees and returned long after our offspring became well past school age. I was born and educated in Newcastle before attending Uni elsewhere, as were both my sisters, my wife and her sister (educated, but not born here) but the schools we all attended (three different ones) were all Direct Grant Grammar Schools which have long since reacted to lousy educational policies in the UK by becoming fee-paying private schools. All three were excellent, still exist and all three charge eye-watering amounts unless your kids are of a calibre to win full scholarships.

It would help us to advise on areas if you told what you're looking for e.g rent or buy; type of dwelling: budget; where your job is etc.

philat98

Have you looked at the places in the Tyne valley like Corbridge and Hexham? They might be better for yoir kids than a suburb of Newcastle. You can get a train into the centre of Newcastle. With the Tories promises to regenerate the north things might be changing for the better.

Britishbitz

I will have a look, like I said happy to be outside the 'city' as long as I can travel for work within an hour ish. I shall have a look at those areas, thank you

Britishbitz

To start with we are looking to rent, and compared to the South rent is a lot cheaper up there which is a bonus. Would need to be a house as there is myself, two kids and my mum initially. Work I will be looking for from here and fingers crossed maybe can secure something before we go, but worse case, will be doing that pretty much as soon as we land. Obviously we'll be staying in temporary accommodation for the first 2-3 weeks while we secure a rental sort out bank accounts and so on, the jobs I am applying for will be in the city or pretty close too. From the research I have done the rent seems to around up to 700pcm (I could spend more, but would rather not, for the sake of trying to keep as much as of my savings around to buy eventually, don't want to throw it all on rent) for a 3-4 bed. Eventually I want to buy, but that's not until Employment is secured and once settled a bit deciding where we actually want to live. I'm really not fussed to start, I just want to get my foot in the door and go from there

ETA: My concern really is my kids, I want to get them into a School as soon as humanely possible once there, so they can get back to normality asap. If I have some areas to work with I can at least go and check out the Ofsted reports etc

curleytops

We moved to Prudhoe which is located on the south bank of the Tyne Valley three years ago and we love it. Newcastle city centre is a 20-minute train journey away, a bus ride will take you 40 minutes. Rents are lower than the city although I have noticed there appear to be a lot fewer available rental properties than there were when we came here. The town population sits at approximately 11,000 and we are situated about half way between Newcastle and Hexham (10 miles each way). I was struck by the community spirit present here; people are generally friendly and welcoming. Like anywhere though, there are some good and not so good areas. We live on the western edge of the town in a nice quiet neighbourhood with fabulous views over the Tyne Valley.

As Novocastrian mentioned, many of us are not so familiar with the school rankings in the area as we are either childless or empty nesters. Local schools from my understanding are regarded as good.

Ovingham, a village directly over the river from us is a lovely area you may want to consider. The same rail and bus routes are available via a short walk or ride over the bridge (if driving, the narrow bridge takes a bit getting used to) and there is free parking available at the transportation interchange. There are numerous lovely villages along the road west between here and Hexham; Corbridge is particularly pretty although housing can be a bit pricey.

I do hope you find you find a community you like that suits your needs, I'm sure you will love it here. Hubby and I wouldn't want to live anywhere else now.

Novocastrian

I think you'll find that both places, while very pleasant, are more expensive than Newcastle itself, even not counting the commuting costs.

Britishbitz

Thank you so much for your insight, I will certainly have a look at those areas too. Sounds lovely