Million pound budget - Newcastle

[BackToWhereItAllBegan]

After 30 years of constantly moving around the UK and overseas, we're ready for retirement and I have a strong desire to return back to my roots in the North East.
When I was growing up, Jesmond and Tynemouth were considered the 'posh' areas (I'm not posh, just lucky to have made money on property over the years!), are those still the nicest areas in the Newcastle area and are there other areas we should be considering?
We have a budget of up to a million, but we're empty nesters so not necessarily looking for a big detached property and would be more than happy with a smaller house or a nice apartment.
Living within walking distance of restaurants, coffee shops etc is a huge priority for us, I'd also like good public transport links as we'd like to only run one car in retirement if practical.
I'd appreciate any suggestions of areas to look at or confirmation that I'm on the right track with Jesmond and Tynemouth, I'm overseas for a few more months but will be coming back to start looking early next year.

If you would consider Gateshead then Low Fell is very nice and would give you the access to cafes etc plus a lovely park. Nice housing stock and you wouldn’t need to spend your whole budget by any means.

A lot of the posh houses in Jesmond are now split into 'posh' student flats. There's still some nice parts, but look more closely at the actual street.

Agree to be wary about jesmond with the students. It can really vary from street to street. Ponteland may be worth a look, but it doesn’t have the metro so public transport will be limited to buses. Marginally further away in land, hexham or corbridge are also lovely - they have no metro, but a train link to Newcastle city centre.

With a million pounds the world is you oyster, or at least Tyneside is.

I would be looking at Gosforth, apart from the terrible traffic which might not bother you in retirement it's where I would go.

Gosforth, Tynemouth, Cullercoats, Whitley Bay (which is very much up and coming these days).

Jesmond is nice, but very studenty.

Appreciate all your comments and will add Low Fell, Gosforth,, Cullercoats and Whitley Bay to my list. It would be so lovely to live right on the beach again, I'm currently 600 miles from the nearest coast!
I did wonder about the student population in Jesmond. Is it a very student dominated area with drunken 18 year olds wandering around at all hours (memories of my own university days!) or does it still have its leafy, residential feel just with a younger population during term time?

A lot of the more expensive houses (usually ones with gardens) in Whitley Bay are actually classed as Monkseaton so make sure you don’t narrow down your search area too far! There’s a gorgeous house on Holywell Avenue which is the Monkseaton/Whitley Bay border for £975k, if I had that budget I’d snap it up!

I’d get one of the rare lovely Heaton houses with that budget, to me it feels like Jesmond used to

People think a million pound is like an unlimited amount but I follow some estate agents in Newcastle and there’s so many standard houses that are upwards of £1.5m-£2m.

I would avoid Low Fell. There’s nothing special about it at all. I would start looking in Jesmond and not be put off my students - they aren’t every where.

How about a flat above a shop?

Have you thought about going a bit further north? If so, Amble is now rather lovely, with great seafood restaurants or there is obviously Alnwick, Warkworth and Alnmouth. Not near the sea, but not far away, Morpeth is also lovely and has some great shops and cafes etc.

Tynemouth, Ponteland , darras hall would be my suggestions

Try Corbridge, stocksfield, Hexham, etc out along the a69. I live in Jesmond but in order to avoid students you might be pushing your budget but it's still an amazing place to live and we're not bothered by students too much.

Bits of Jesmond still, avoiding student areas. Tynemouth yes. Jesmond park west and houses around the Dene on either side. North West side of Heaton. Darass Hall estate in Ponteland (never been just know it is posh!). There are also some lovely houses in South Gosforth around the bottom of Freeman road.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/152802704

Lovely house!

Stunning!

We won't have anywhere near your budget but we are hoping to move to Morpeth within the next five years. We fell in love with it, it's on a river, lots of bars and restaurants, train station with easy access to Newcastle/Edinburgh.

Yes, beautiful and what a location.

@blessedarethequichemakers lovely house, I did actually see that listing and show it to my DH a few days ago as an example of what we could find in Jesmond!
@Roserunner Morpeth had crossed my mind as I've heard it's really nice. I don't remember ever going there but I do have some vague memory of flooding problems there a few years ago so I ll have to look into that further.
Appreciate everyone's suggestions, DH wants us to consider an apartment in the quayside but I think he'd looking at that with rose tinted memories of our early 20's!

Jesmond is definitely where I would want to be. Good shops and cafes and one stop on the metro and you are in the town. Living close to the metro is such a bonus.

That is beautiful

The flat is stunning, maybe I could also buy the shop and have a little business in retirement!
@Roserunner
Looking further at Mropeth, its looks picture perfect, I've just looked at some amazing apartments close to the centre of town which would be perfect.
I don't know that area well, my concern is how far it appears to be from Newcastle so would we feel isolated. Is Morpeth a market town with a reasonable number of restaurants, shops etc or does it have more of a village feel?

Morpeth has a small town centre including some shops like boots and marks and charity shops. Nice hardware and cook shop if I recall. There was flooding a few years ago but certain areas, I think maybe one of the estates.