Newcastle City Centre facts for kids
Newcastle City Centre is the main part of Newcastle upon Tyne in England. It's like the historical heart of the city! This area is super important for culture and business in the whole North East England region. It's also the central part of the bigger Tyneside area, where many towns and cities are connected.
The city centre is split into smaller areas, each with its own cool vibe. These include Haymarket, the Quayside, Grainger Town, Monument, Gallowgate, and Chinatown.
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Exploring Newcastle City Centre
Haymarket Area
The Haymarket area is at the northern edge of the city centre. It's bordered by areas like Spital Tongues and Jesmond. This part of the city is mostly a business area.
Here you'll find important buildings like the Newcastle Civic Centre. It's also home to both Newcastle University and Northumbria University. The Haymarket bus station is here too. The beautiful Church of St Thomas the Martyr is a famous landmark. It stands right across from the Metro station at the top of Northumberland Street, which is the city's main shopping street.
The Quayside
The Quayside is a more modern part of Newcastle city centre. It's well-known for its many fun bars and restaurants.
This area is famous for the four amazing bridges that cross the River Tyne. These are the High Level Bridge, the Swing Bridge, the iconic Tyne Bridge, and the unique Gateshead Millennium Bridge.
You can easily get around the Quayside using the QuayLink bus route. This bus connects the area to Monument, Haymarket, and Central Station Metro stops. There's also a path along the river. It's part of a cycle network that goes east towards North Shields and Tynemouth. You can also cycle west towards Hexham.
Central Station Area
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Newcastle railway station, often called Central Station, is surrounded by many places to eat and hang out.
Close by, you'll find the Centre for Life on Times Square. There's also the Utilita Arena Newcastle, where big concerts happen. Other cool places nearby include Newcastle Cathedral, the Discovery Museum, and the Mill Volvo Tyne Theatre. The city's main coach station is also in this area.
Grainger Town
Grainger Town includes streets like Pilgrim Street, Clayton Street, and Blackett Street. This area was built in the mid-1800s. Today, it's a busy spot for shopping and nightlife. It's also famous for its beautiful old buildings.
The Theatre Royal is located on Grey Street, a very grand street. You can also visit the Grainger Market. This is a large covered market that was built to help traders.
Gallowgate Area
Gallowgate is a smaller area around St James' Park. This is the home stadium of Newcastle United F.C, the city's famous football team. The St James Metro station is also here.
You'll find a few pubs in this area. There are also businesses like law firms in Citygate and Time Central. A Tesco Express store and some food shops are here too. Behind Gallowgate is Leazes Park, which leads to Spital Tongues. A special memorial garden for Sir Bobby Robson, a famous football manager, was opened here in 2011.
Chinatown
Chinatown is on the western side of the city centre. It's mainly focused around Stowell Street. This street is full of delicious Chinese restaurants. You can also find a back entrance to The Gate entertainment complex here.
Getting Around Newcastle City Centre
Metro Trains
The Tyne and Wear Metro has four stations right in Newcastle city centre. All of them are underground!
- Haymarket, Monument, and Central Station: These stations are on both the Green and Yellow Metro lines. If you go north, the trains can take you to the Airport or towards the coast via Whitley Bay. If you go south, they head to South Hylton or South Shields.
- St James: This station is the end of the Yellow Line in the west. Trains from here go towards the coast via North Shields.
Buses and Coaches
Newcastle has two main bus stations for local and regional buses.
- Haymarket bus station: Buses heading north and east usually use Haymarket bus station.
- Eldon Square bus station: Buses going south and west use Eldon Square bus station.
Both bus stations are run by Nexus.
Many roads in the city centre have special lanes just for buses. Stagecoach is the main bus company in the city. Their buses often stop at several places in the city centre instead of just one bus station. The QuayLink service uses bright yellow electric buses. It has two routes: Q1 goes from Haymarket to the Quayside, and Q2 goes from Central Station to Gateshead.
For longer journeys, National Express coaches use Newcastle Coach Station on St James Boulevard. Megabus services now stop on John Dobson Street, outside the library.
Train Travel
Newcastle, known locally as Central Station, is the city's main train station. It's a major stop on the East Coast Main Line. From here, you can travel directly to local towns, regional cities, and even national destinations across the UK. Manors is the only other train station in the city, but it has very few services.
