Quality of Life
As well as being a top location for business, Tyne and Wear is also a great place to live with renowned cultural and leisure facilities the length and breadth of the region. These assets are increasingly important to businesses in the recruitment and retention of staff.
The area offers an array of world famous landmarks including Gateshead’s Sage Music Centre and the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art.
Fantastic shopping (Metro Centre and Eldon Square), great restaurants and a cosmopolitan array of bars make the region one of the most visited and lively destinations in the country.
It is easy to escape to the spectacular coast and countryside which are on our doorstep. The beaches along the Northumbrian and Durham coast are some of the most popular and picturesque in the country. Tyne and Wear is also a great base for visiting the nearby Lake District and Scottish borders.
Quality of life in the North East is excellent and the competitive cost of living makes the region an attractive place to live. There is a wide choice of affordable and modern housing developments as well as high quality public and private schools.
The region’s public transport network is one of the most effective in the country with bus travel integrated with the Tyne and Wear Metro rail system – which links all parts of Tyne and Wear.
More and more people are relocating to the region and finding that it exceeds their expectations in every way. These new recruits to the area share their views.
“I moved to the North East from London just over two years ago. I live in South Gosforth and can walk to work in the centre of Newcastle in about 25 minutes, which compares to a commute of over an hour and a half on the tube in London – that’s something that makes a huge difference to my quality of life.” James Grugeon, Director of Corporate Affairs, Eaga
“For me it was a re-relocation, as I had lived here twenty years ago. So much in the region has changed since then in a very positive way, particularly in terms of the cultural infrastructure, but there are still the same great beaches.” Penny Rae, Artistic Director/CEO, Dance City
“To my shame, I had very little knowledge about the North East, apart from the anecdotes around the warmth and friendliness of the people. While I immediately realised that the reputation of the people was well founded, I was very taken aback at the sheer vibrancy of Newcastle. Moreover, on moving around some of the areas surrounding the city, I found a spectacular coastline and fabulous countryside – things I thought I would have given up in moving from Dorset.” Jonathan Westoff, Finance Director, Newcastle Building Society
“I moved here directly from Oxford when I finished my degree and I think my standard of life is much better than it would have been. In particular, what I like is that you have a little bit of everything here; city, seaside, countryside and easy access to the bigger cities in the UK and Europe. Transportation is great with loads of buses and the Metro to get you from A to B. We have great educational facilities in the region too, so there is a continual stream of talent being produced to work in the businesses (I know as I have recruited many of them over the years!).” Mandy Sewell, Group HR Manager, Grainger Trust.
