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Newcastle University

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Is Newcastle a safe city?

greekguy

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Reply 1

Moleymann

From personal experience, as much as any other city. Friendly locals and a fantastic reputable taxi firm (Blueline), never felt in danger there. Still wouldn't stray off the beaten track and wander around by myself late at night in the less populated areas.

All about using common sense really.

Newcastle University

Newcastle-upon-Tyne

Why aye man.

Yeah I feel really safe there compared to some other cities. Has a really homely feel I think :smile:

Reply 5

Parle à ma main

I live here and yeah. Obviously there are some places you wouldn't go wandering around on your own at night, but it is safe, and the great thing about Newcastle is that if you're in the city centre, it's ALWAYS buzzing with people, no matter what time. :smile:

Reply 6

PVisitors

It has the best crime rate figures of any major UK city, similar levels akin to Kensington in London.

So yes. It is safe.

Reply 7

RipperRoo

The biggest crime I've seen on a night out was last night where this fat drunk guy with really long hair was pushing people into the middle of the road in front of cars, whilst his pants were round his ankles.

Apart from that, it's pretty safe as long as you stay in good areas.

Reply 8

TRS-T

Original post by Moleymann

a fantastic reputable taxi firm (Blueline)

Are the taxi drivers Asian in Newcastle?

Reply 9

spektre

NCL does seem pretty safe to me for a city of its size. I wander around at night all the time because I'm too much of a cheapskate to pay for a taxi, and the worst thing that happened to me was some blokes in their Vauxhall Corsa throwing chewed bubblegum at my head while I was waiting at an intersection. Now if I think of it, driving around at night in their Vauxhall Corsas whilst throwing stuff out of the window and/or yelling at random people does seem to be a pretty popular leisure activity among young people, which I have already seen quite a few times here in NCL.... so keep an eye out for that :rolleyes:

Reply 10

JamieEclipse

Original post by mikestraws

Why aye man.

"Whey". Rookie mistake. :wink:

Original post by RipperRoo

Bigg Market? :biggrin:

@OP
Yes, Newcastle is very safe.
I'm built like a stick and I frequently travel via the stabbiest looking routes (an underpass and a motorway bridge) on the way home well after midnight.

I think somebody tried to throw stuff at me once but they were too drunk to be a decent shot. It's all good.

Reply 11

RipperRoo

Original post by JamieEclipse

"Whey". Rookie mistake. :wink:

Bigg Market? :biggrin:

Outside the O2 academy actually haha. It's usually alright around there though.

Reply 12

River85

As safe as it was when you made the thread "All about Newcastle" a few months ago. You've really got no need to worry about crime in Newcastle, more than you will in any other large city (and it's less of a problem than some cities). It doesn't have have problems with serious violent crime (including gun crime) and no town V gown division that I've noticed (so not a large number of attacks on students).

The worst I've experienced in Newcastle was some verbal abuse from a man in his 30s (I was only 15 at the time...he didn't like "hippies" apparently) that was 12 years ago now. The only other trouble I've experienced is someone throwing chips and me and my friend at the old Eldon Square bus station, again 12 years ago, though he was so drunk I don't think he knew what he was doing. Oh, there was also a guy who threated to punch my ex-girlfriend if I didn't give him money, but I just told him to sod off and he did. Again, that was years ago when I was a teenager.

I've never witnessed physical violence in Newcastle, but I have in plenty of other cities.

I've experienced far more verbal abuse and even a physical assault elsewhere, including villages. Newcastle city centre is a relative safe haven providing you don't act an idiot and seek trouble. There are usually enough friendly people around and, being a city centre, there's a visible police presence in the evenings.

Like any student area, there is the risk of burglaries as student houses are seen as "soft targets" but I wouldn't say Newcastle is worse than any other university city. Don't let strage people into your house

All cities, particularly post-industrial cities, have their fair share of charvers/chavs, and Newcastle is no different. Though they tend to stick in the suburbs they live in, trying to be something they aren't.

Original post by RipperRoo

Woops. Sorry! Had too much in Quinns (is that still around?)

Spoiler

Original post by TRS-T

Are the taxi drivers Asian in Newcastle?

As in any city, a few will be, but not many. Obviously fewer than in Birmingham or London as the Asian population is smaller.

Original post by spektre

When walking around my home village, a car pulled out of a nearby street and as it passed me the driver yelled "freak" out of the window (I think I know who it was, someone I went to school with - a cousin of my cousin actually - and that's the street he grew up in and his mother still lives there) if it was a stranger it makes it even more puzzling. Insult someone to their face and be a man, don't it from the safety of your car where you just drive off Coward. Happens elsewhere though, someone yelled at me when cross a junction in Durham, and similar things have been witnessed in London. Perhaps it's some new underground sport?

Reply 13

andmeaning

Anybody who says Newcastle is a rough city has obviously never been to Newcastle.

Obviously, some areas are worse than others but the city centre tends to be pretty safe even at night. Can honestly say I've never felt threatened whilst walking about.

Reply 14

feelingsupersonic

Don't walk the streets at night or people will throw sausage rolls at you.

Reply 15

kidoo

'Safe' is not a very objective statement and is open to a fair amount of interpretation.

If you are comparing it to Baghdad then yes it is safe :smile:

Reply 16

River85

Original post by kidoo

'Safe' is not a very objective statement and is open to a fair amount of interpretation.

If you are comparing it to Baghdad then yes it is safe :smile:

I assume the OP means compared to any other UK major city (Manchester, Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Birmingham, Sheffield...). What can be reasonably expected for a major city in an economically developed and politically stable country.

In short, Newcastle is regarded as having a relatively low crime rate for a major city, though, as with anywhere, it's always advisable that you be cautious wherever you are.

Reply 17

RipperRoo

Original post by River85

Happens plenty to me, people yelling out of their window to try and give you a shock. The best times are when you have blasting iPod in and seeing the disappointment in their face as you don't react at all.

Reply 18

River85

Original post by greekguy

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Crime stats aren't the most accurate way of analyising crime and comparing cities, but this is useful as a guide.

http://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/preparing-to-go/staying-safe-and-secure/how-safe-is-your-city/

As you can see, Newcastle ranks 7th out of those 20 cities. Though many of the cities that are "safer" are small, historic cities (York, Canterbury, Bath) and you'd expect them to be lower. Of major cities, those at the centre of a conurbation of the best part of a million people or more, Newcastle is ranked the safest.

Robbery and especially burglary are significantly lower than other large cities. Violence is more common (though still lower than some other large cities*), which is largely down to it being a popular party city, and I won't deny that drunken behaviour can occur. But I've never been the victim of violence in Newcastle in my 27 years and I don't know anyone who has. There's a Safe bar scheme in operation and good police presence.

*Of large cities/conurbations only Leeds and Sheffield are lower for violence than Newcastle, with places like Nottingham having almost twice the level of reported violent crime than Newcastle.