‘Superenting’, is the term the team at The Forge luxury apartment complex in Newcastle claim their service to be, and after spending part of the weekend there last week I’d have to agree. City centre living in Newcastle isn’t something I’ve ever done myself, the closest I got was Gosforth for a few years when I came home from uni, and truth be told I really wish I’d been able to.

It’s no secret Newcastle is one of my favourite cities in the world, and to have the increasingly amazing restaurant scene, bars, shops and of course the Quayside on my doorstep would be the dream. For a weekend at least, I got to experience what it would be like.

The Forge are a relatively new rental option in the city centre of Newcastle, and with 1 – 3 bedroom options available there are apartments to suit a whole range of potential tenants. The living experience doesn’t just end with your own apartment though, the complex has a whole range of extras and amenities that come with being a tenant here.

Disclaimer: We received a complimentary stay at The Forge, with Deliveroo on the Friday night, and Saturday brunch included. As always you’re only going to read my genuine opinion.

Before I get on to The Forge let me set the scene…

Location of The Forge

Forth Banks runs up from the Newcastle Quayside from right by the Copthorne Hotel, and the Forge complex is right in the middle, opposite Stephenson Quarter car park. You might know it if you’re a fan of Satchins Indian restaurant which is also on the same street at the top.

So in terms of city living, it’s central, and less than a ten minute walk to the fabulous quayside, the city centre shopping areas of Eldon Square, Monument and Northumberland Street, and even less distance to the bars and restaurants around Central Station. The gin bar of the Crowne Plaza is literally 2 minutes walk away I mean what more do you need?

But seriously, gin aside, even for the laziest of people like myself, everything is on hand within walking distance. Depending on your apartment you might also catch a glimpse of the Tyne Bridge or the Sage out of one of your windows.

Transport links

As I mentioned The Forge is a short walk from Newcastle Central station, which obviously has National Rail links countrywide, but also the local Metro system, bus links and taxi rank. We used Uber a couple of times directly from outside the apartment too, and it was never more than a five minute wait which was a dream compared to trying to get taxis outside of the city centre.

The Forge Communal Areas

With an emphasis on the luxury side of living, that’s what you get from the moment you enter their lobby. It’s modern, with big open spaces and a concierge desk that is staffed 24 hours.

The team are so friendly, and are on hand to help with anything you need. During our stay we witnessed them discussing food deliveries, signing for Amazon packages, and helping tenants with their shopping bags. It’s definitely not just a doorman or security service.

There’s a secure fob entry mechanism to get in, with CCTV in the public areas and particularly over the mailbox walls that are found tucked away behind the concierge desk away from public view.

Also on the ground floor are communal areas for all residents to enjoy, with huge comfy sofas, swinging chairs, coffee tables and loungers, all with a view of the huge flatscreen that has Sky TV all set up. There’s also booths with desks and plugs for anyone who wants to work downstairs.

In this area coffee is free from the fancy coffee machine, and while we were there one of the residents was even handing out her home made cakes and pastries.

It had a much more homely feel to it than I think I was expecting from a public communal area, and you could tell that most of the residents knew each other and got on well.

They have pop up bars and fitness classes that visit, meaning if you’re new to the city or want to meet new people your social calendar can fill up quickly.

There’s a fully equipped gym on site for residents too, a big perk for an apartment complex and this is secure through fob use too. I didn’t use it myself but Kieran brought his stuff and did a session early the next morning. So there’d be no excuse of coming in from work and not being bothered to go to the gym, it’s just downstairs!

I’ve already covered transport options, but what I didn’t mention were the bike racks and storage options that can be included as part of the rental package. There are over 100 available, and all monitored by CCTV.

With 290 apartments over 7 floors, there are both stair or lift options from the main lobby to take you to your own apartment.

The Forge Apartments

As mentioned above the apartments range from 1 – 3 bedrooms available to rent on flexible terms, and all have been designed with a modern, luxury living experience in mind.

The living, kitchen and dining areas are open plan, with floor to ceiling windows that fill them with light. A morning coffee here was very enjoyable, it’s the simple things.

Simple is key when it comes to styling, and if you’re not sure if you could replicate it yourself then you can choose to rent on a furnished or part furnished basis if you wish.

The kitchen area was sleek, modern and fully equipped with stove, oven, microwave, fridge and freezer, and washing machine. There’s plenty bench and cupboard space for storage too.

We ordered a huge Indian takeaway on the Friday night, which came so quickly, another benefit of being so central in the city. The options were endless, way more than on the outskirts or further, and we thoroughly enjoyed tucking into it within the cosy apartment while watching the Friday night football.

Prior to this I had wandered up into town and met Kieran after work. Instead of the usual 45 minute journey home battling the traffic it took him ten minutes to get into town, so we made the most of it by hitting the Friday night happy hours in Pleased to Meet You and Las Iguanas.

I also nipped into a few shops and picked up some things with it being payday, a trip that would usually have taken me a full morning and a fortune in parking.

These little benefits of being so central meant our Friday night began literally as soon as we finished work, and we got the best of both worlds for a Friday night having a few drinks, as well as a night in without having to worry about cooking tea. I could definitely get used to that lifestyle.

I don’t know if I was just knackered, or if the wine we drank went to my head, but I slept soundly for about 11 hours that night. There was no outside noise at all, and the apartment was warm and silent despite being surrounded by others.

Ours was a two bedroom, and I was really surprised to find that both really good sized double rooms, complete with bedside tables, wardrobes, drawers and shelving units both had en suite bathrooms.

Bathrooms were also surprisingly big, both roughly the same size with giant walk in powerful showers, one with a bath too. Mirrors filled the walls, and the tiling, towel rails, and style just made me feel like I was staying in a luxury hotel. I could spend hours styling with little extras.

I showered and pottered about the apartment enjoying the peace while Kieran went up into town, and the gym, and we both enjoyed an M&S breakfast when he got back before getting ready to head out for lunch and the afternoon.

The best bit was having our own bathrooms so we couldn’t do each others head in getting in the way!

When ready we got an Uber, this time because I was running late rather than because I’m lazy, up into town for brunch at the also recently opened Eden. We had bottomless bubbles for a couple of hours, before heading to the pub to watch the football.

You don’t even realise how difficult the logistics of getting into Newcastle are normally, especially if there are football matches or events on. It’s so much easier when you can just walk (or Uber very cheaply) around despite how busy it gets.

At the end of our day out we literally just walked ten minutes along the beautiful quayside back to The Forge. A lot less stressful than trying to find taxis, waiting in queues and trying to time your takeaway delivery to make sure you’re back in time.

Further info on The Forge, Newcastle

Overall we really loved the idea of living in the centre of Newcastle, and the Forge is a really modern, high end choice in the perfect spot to make the most of all the best parts of the city day and night.

The extras that come with a rental package here such as the concierge, residents club, onsite gym, and the standard of the apartments do give it a high end feel that I just didn’t realise you could get here in Newcastle.

With up to three bedrooms available, we saw singles, couples and families all coming and going, and my favourite thing – lots of pets too! Dogs are allowed at The Forge which is a huge perk.

If you’re considering a move to Newcastle from further afield, or looking to upgrade your city centre living experience then register your interest on The Forge website, or browse the apartments available now.

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