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Drinking in Sunderland City Centre - restored

Enjoying drinking in the town Friday nights since things opened up again. Isis, Dun Cow for real ales and then down to Greens, Victor's to watch the live bands. Good with Victor's and Greens so close to each other if you don't like one of the bands you can go to the other.
Many pubs busy on a Friday these days?
 

That’s a huge thing. People from Newcastle, in genera, refuse to use Sunderland for gigs. I think they just assume the bank will appear there before too long. Hugh Cornwell had a decent turn out at the Sage, cancelled at the Peacock because of poor ticket sales
Aye they're very weird with things like that.
 
I’ve spent a bit time in Newcastle over the years & they go on about Sunderland as if it’s a slum village despite never being here. The superiority complex from some of them is baffling, all because they’ve got a decent town centre.
Totally agree having worked in Newcastle and the areas years ago.

a few of them came to stack at seaburn and couldn't believe how good the seafront was.

On a side note I was in Newcastle on Thursday, we'd been to the theatre royal, me and my girlfriend went to see the drifters show and took my mother along with us.

on the way back to the car I was in front of them as they were huddled together under a brolly. A bunch of 4 chavs approached them and tried to have away with their bags. I had to lay a punch on the main one and the rest ran off.

Never had that kind of bother in Sunderland, they were understandbly shook up.
 
I absolutely hate the phrase “use them if lose them”. Maybe it should be “provide what people want or go bust” instead.

Agreed with the phrase, sadly it's not the bars that's the problem though. It's everything else. There's very little in Sunderland to do other than drink and not many people are going to come further afield for just pubs / bars which Newcastle wins on easily like going to the cinema in the Gate then walking out and ending up in Spoons for a couple then the next minute it's 3am (done that enough) or people going shopping then getting a bite to eat and a few drinks since the retail is awful (also done a few times).

*I know there's the cinema at Sunniside but it's naff and miles out the way.
 
Agreed with the phrase, sadly it's not the bars that's the problem though. It's everything else. There's very little in Sunderland to do other than drink and not many people are going to come further afield for just pubs / bars which Newcastle wins on easily like going to the cinema in the Gate then walking out and ending up in Spoons for a couple then the next minute it's 3am (done that enough) or people going shopping then getting a bite to eat and a few drinks since the retail is awful (also done a few times).

*I know there's the cinema at Sunniside but it's naff and miles out the way.
What makes a good cinema?
 
Agreed with the phrase, sadly it's not the bars that's the problem though. It's everything else. There's very little in Sunderland to do other than drink and not many people are going to come further afield for just pubs / bars which Newcastle wins on easily like going to the cinema in the Gate then walking out and ending up in Spoons for a couple then the next minute it's 3am (done that enough) or people going shopping then getting a bite to eat and a few drinks since the retail is awful (also done a few times).

*I know there's the cinema at Sunniside but it's naff and miles out the way.

Miles out the way!

Close to Sunniside and not far from the Minister Quarter!
 
Agreed with the phrase, sadly it's not the bars that's the problem though. It's everything else. There's very little in Sunderland to do other than drink and not many people are going to come further afield for just pubs / bars which Newcastle wins on easily like going to the cinema in the Gate then walking out and ending up in Spoons for a couple then the next minute it's 3am (done that enough) or people going shopping then getting a bite to eat and a few drinks since the retail is awful (also done a few times).

*I know there's the cinema at Sunniside but it's naff and miles out the way.

i dont disagree with your points but the cinema is no further away from pubs etc as the Gate is from say dean street. I used to go to beyond in the gate years ago but never been back and never had much of a reason to as always thought it was meant to be poor. Is it any good?

The issue in Sunderland is that there is little happening between say cinema and fire station area. If you stayed around Sunniside they are on each other’s doorstep. Whether there is enough happening in Sunniside is another matter.
 
Agreed with the phrase, sadly it's not the bars that's the problem though. It's everything else. There's very little in Sunderland to do other than drink and not many people are going to come further afield for just pubs / bars which Newcastle wins on easily like going to the cinema in the Gate then walking out and ending up in Spoons for a couple then the next minute it's 3am (done that enough) or people going shopping then getting a bite to eat and a few drinks since the retail is awful (also done a few times).

*I know there's the cinema at Sunniside but it's naff and miles out the way.


why punish yourself like that?!
 
What makes a good cinema?

Being in the centre and surrounded with bars and restaurants. Not miles out the way with everything abandoned around it. It should've been built on the Crowtree and made a destination site. The Light (Leeds), The Gate (Newcastle), The Printworks (Manchester) are good examples even known they're not that great thereselves in The Gate.

i dont disagree with your points but the cinema is no further away from pubs etc as the Gate is from say dean street. I used to go to beyond in the gate years ago but never been back and never had much of a reason to as always thought it was meant to be poor. Is it any good?

The issue in Sunderland is that there is little happening between say cinema and fire station area. If you stayed around Sunniside they are on each other’s doorstep. Whether there is enough happening in Sunniside is another matter.

Honestly it's crap the Gate itself for drinking just used to pop into the Keel Row for a few 'as why not' sometimes but leave straight away pretty much then go whereever depending on the mood it's next to all the 'crap' cheap clubs, close to Central for like the Town Wall, Head of Steam, Tilleys and that or doing the Haymarket lot; The Goose, Three Bulls, Percy Arms etc. You have to pass one of them to get to the bus stations or Metro Stations which is the biggest killer for Sunniside as you could leave and get to the Metro Station or Fawcett Street without passing any bar really.

why punish yourself like that?!
Honestly, don't mind the Newcastle ones tbh especially The Quayside in the Summer with it's beer garden over the Tyne. Alright drinks and the knackers don't really go into them they tend to stick to the Clayton Street bars. It's just mostly students half the time. Much prefer that the prentious crap that's popped up lately, £5 for cooking lager because there's some flowers on the ceiling - no thanks (Yates to Slug and Lettuce). Got to give credit Sunderland hasn't gone down that route.
 
Agreed with the phrase, sadly it's not the bars that's the problem though. It's everything else. There's very little in Sunderland to do other than drink and not many people are going to come further afield for just pubs / bars which Newcastle wins on easily like going to the cinema in the Gate then walking out and ending up in Spoons for a couple then the next minute it's 3am (done that enough) or people going shopping then getting a bite to eat and a few drinks since the retail is awful (also done a few times).

*I know there's the cinema at Sunniside but it's naff and miles out the way.
Sort of attitude that people who knock Sunderland have
I work with lads from Stockton and peterlee area and they love Sunderland town centre
 
Sort of attitude that people who knock Sunderland have
I work with lads from Stockton and peterlee area and they love Sunderland town centre

I'm from North of the Tyne it's just the truth. Been to Sunderland a couple of times drinking and it's decent tbh, quite like the way it hasn't gone down the pretentious crap of Newcastle lately. There's just nothing else really to attract people down. Like I'd love to try Stack at Seaburn but it's a nightmare to get to without paying £30+ for a taxi each way or fannying around with designated drivers - it should've been put in the centre where it's easy to get to.
 
I'm from North of the Tyne it's just the truth. Been to Sunderland a couple of times drinking and it's decent tbh, quite like the way it hasn't gone down the pretentious crap of Newcastle lately. There's just nothing else really to attract people down. Like I'd love to try Stack at Seaburn but it's a nightmare to get to without paying £30+ for a taxi each way or fannying around with designated drivers - it should've been put in the centre where it's easy to get to.

Seaburn has a metro station marra
 
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