What's the difference between Sunderland & Newcastle?

It's the biggest city between Leeds and Edinburgh and is the unofficial capital of the North East. Of course there will be some historical sentimentality towards suggesting Durham as the unofficial capital of the North East but ask 100 people outside of the region to name a city in the North East of England and I'd wager the highest answer would be Newcastle.

Put all of this together and it's no surprise it gets the strongest interest/investment. The times I've been to Sunderland city centre it's in a very poor state and not very comparable to Newcastle which leads developers to be massively averse to taking a risk in development there.
Newcastle is 9 square miles smaller than Sunderland. But it is larger than Durham I suppose
 


The people of Sunderland are a major problem. They are hugely negative towards any development
Because it’s normally badly managed and a fuck up, Newcastle has had almost sustained investment from all angles for decades now, take away the bridges and what has the city centre had pumped into it in the last fifty years? Keel square that’s about it and what’s that a bit of pavement and a space to walk. That wouldn’t even bat an eye lid if it were in Newcastle ffs, it’s been left to rot so no wonder people think negatively. Vaux land was left with rubble for close to two decades. Newcastle has got to a point it’s too big to fail someone will toss money at it due to the decades of prior investment, Sunderland needs way more than the government or private investors want to risk to really change it. We get a pavement with a water feature and are suppose to pack out the city centre with gratitude?.
 
I disagree. When there's an ambitious project, the people of Sunderland enthuse as much any other place. What the people are negative about, is the lack of ambitious projects or the many projects that's fallen by the wayside

This, were the city of undelivered promises and underwhelming advancement.
 
We are victim of 60’s and 70’s town planning gone mad. The centre of town, for a place with the history and populous of Sunderland, is nothing short of a civic embarrassment.

I don’t think it’s for the want trying, but until jobs, and thereafter footfall, are brought back into our CBD we won’t get large developments of this scale, there will no return for investors.
 
We are victim of 60’s and 70’s town planning gone mad. The centre of town, for a place with the history and populous of Sunderland, is nothing short of a civic embarrassment.

I don’t think it’s for the want trying, but until jobs, and thereafter footfall, are brought back into our CBD we won’t get large developments of this scale, there will no return for investors.
Don't forget the Luftwaffe
 
We are victim of 60’s and 70’s town planning gone mad. The centre of town, for a place with the history and populous of Sunderland, is nothing short of a civic embarrassment.

I don’t think it’s for the want trying, but until jobs, and thereafter footfall, are brought back into our CBD we won’t get large developments of this scale, there will no return for investors.
Definitely is the key. Pity Doxford can't relocate.
 
Newcastle has a bigger and more affluent middle class than Sunderland and has throughout modern history and particularly since the industrial revolution. Not only does that mean there’s a more diverse need for services, I think this also contributes to Newcastle having bigger expectations and ambitions for their city. It has a red brick university, and the other uni, the former polytechnic, is both bigger and better than the one on offer in Sunderland. It has better transport links by rail and obviously they’ve an airport on the doorstep (it’s often mentioned).

Sunderland should never attempt to be Newcastle. It never will be a city like Newcastle. However, it has a lovely seafront and a compact city / town centre that could make it a more decent place to live. A combination of lack of government funding, local whinging and bad luck are what holds it back IMO
 
Newcastle’s city centre is leagues ahead of ours. So much more to do, and more aesthetically pleasing. Gateshead’s developments help the view down on the river. However, I much prefer Sunderland’s suburbs to Newcastle’s. I really wouldn’t want to live in Newcastle.


We have one precious resource in our favour. A sea front! Pity it hasn’t been properly exploited. We’re missing a real opportunity.

Our railway station fits well with our shit city centre, it’s nothing short of disgusting. It should be relocated outdoors where the line runs next to the Civic Centre. Imagine getting off the train for the first time in Sunderland. Compare that with Newcastle...
Durham’s population is roughly a third of the City of Sunderland’s, IIRC, and their station is vastly better and indeed bigger than ours.
 
Basil Spences crumbling tiled hexangular crapola
How they thought that swapping the Town Hall for that monstrosity was a good idea idea I'll never know.

1970s I suppose. A big F.Up.

Newcastle’s city centre is leagues ahead of ours. So much more to do, and more aesthetically pleasing. Gateshead’s developments help the view down on the river. However, I much prefer Sunderland’s suburbs to Newcastle’s. I really wouldn’t want to live in Newcastle.


We have one precious resource in our favour. A sea front! Pity it hasn’t been properly exploited. We’re missing a real opportunity.

Our railway station fits well with our shit city centre, it’s nothing short of disgusting. It should be relocated outdoors where the line runs next to the Civic Centre. Imagine getting off the train for the first time in Sunderland. Compare that with Newcastle...
Durham’s population is roughly a third of the City of Sunderland’s, IIRC, and their station is vastly better and indeed bigger than ours.
What about using Monkwearmouth? Ready made.
 
It's the biggest city between Leeds and Edinburgh and is the unofficial capital of the North East. Of course there will be some historical sentimentality towards suggesting Durham as the unofficial capital of the North East but ask 100 people outside of the region to name a city in the North East of England and I'd wager the highest answer would be Newcastle.

Put all of this together and it's no surprise it gets the strongest interest/investment. The times I've been to Sunderland city centre it's in a very poor state and not very comparable to Newcastle which leads developers to be massively averse to taking a risk in development there.
What have you done ? Come on oot with it.
 

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