What to do and where to go in NEWCASTLE?

Whee! My fiance and I will be coming to Newcastle for a visit in Oct or early Nov. We won tickets on a mini cruise from Sweden to Newcastle.    We will only be in Newcastle for a day (it's a 3 day cruise but it takes one day each way) so what should we do? Where should we go, see, experience, shop? We're all ears for suggestions. Keep in mind that we'll only be there for about 11 hours. We can still have fun right?

There are a lot of shops, pubs, museums etc. in Newcastle...I guess the ferry service must provide a bus service from where you dock into the city centre?

I don't know, I'll have to check into that.

They did when I went from here to Amsterdam.

The Baltic is a pretty impressive modern art gallery (http://www.balticmill.com). It's right by the Gateshead Millenium Bridge which is also pretty cool (http://www.gateshead.gov.uk/bridge/bridged.htm).

There are a couple nice restuarants/pubs along the waterfront but the better ones are up the hill in the city centre - also where the good shopping is. What day/night will you be there as there are parts of town I'd avoid on a Friday or Saturday night (lots of drunk partying going on).

We are going to be coming between Sunday to Wed. This is the stipulation with the tickets since we won them we can't choose the days. That's fine though, I'm just happy to get them.

The Laing Art Gallery has a nice exhibition on at the moment -- even a Van Gogh!    If you're really into shopping, you can take the no. 100 bus to the MetroCentre (Europe's largest indoor shopping centre).  Northumberland Street is good for shopping as there's access to all of the major department stores and to Eldon Square, which another largeish shopping centre.  If you like Italian food, I'd suggest Coco Mo's (on the Side...I'd think anybody local could give you directions).  They've also recently installed a ferris wheel (like the London Eye) on the Gateshead side of the Tyne.

Thanks for the suggestions. I think my boyfriend would like the shopping mall, he's a gadget geek so on the other hand maybe I should keep him away from there.  Europe's largest mall? He'd shop us into bankruptcy.

Are there any areas of the city to avoid?
Do you know the times when that museum is open?
Also, what is Gateshead, is it a sister city nearby?

Last question not related to any of this: How does one pronounce Geordie? Is it like "George" minus the g and e, an then pronounced "dee" at the end?

There aren't really any areas of the city to avoid during the day, but the Bigg Market (just off Grainger Street...it's just an area of pubs and clubs) can get quite rowdy at night...especially Thurs - Sat.  I wouldn't say it's particularly dangerous to be there, just more a hassle of fighting through crowds of drunken people...not really the best place to go if you're looking for a quiet drink.

I think the Laing opens at 10 and closes at 4:30 or 5, I think.  It's on the corner of John Dobson Street behind the city library.

Yep, Gateshead is just on the other side of the river.  Newcastle is on the northern side of the Tyne and Gateshead is on the south.

The pronunciation of Geordie is just as you described. 

Also, just thought of The Gate -- an indoor entertainment venue -- there's a movie theatre there and several restaurants and pubs.  We spend a lot of time there!  Like everything else mentioned, it's in the city centre -- if you're on Grainger Street, there'll be a Boots (chemist) on the corner -- just walk down that street and you'll see a big building with "The Gate" in big yellow letters.

And don't forget about the markets -- the Grainger market can be accessed on several places from Grainger Street and the Green Market is in Eldon Square shopping centre.  If you head toward the Gate and walk down the street with Cafe Nero on the corner, you'll find yourself between the two markets -- I find that the easiest way to go back and forth between the two.

Hi - I just recently introduced myself on another track but just ran across this conversation and I can't tell you how much it helps.  I've been trying to find people in Newcastle.  We haven't moved yet and really won't know for several months, but it's good to know there are people there.  My husband is British and we've been in the States for our entire 10 year marriage.  We have a 6 year old, very American, daughter.  Any advice on schools, best neighborhoods to live in.  I've noticed that property is cheeper in Gateshead but what's the community like?  Lots of questions but very thrilled to have come across this. 

Jesmond and Gosforth are the most expensive areas. Gateshead has some OK areas but traditionally quite a rough town so prices are cheaper. There are also areas like South Shields or Tynemouth to consider as these are close to Newcastle.