Home to a stunning beach, swathes of independent shops, and a range of cultural activities, it's no secret that Whitley Bay is one of the best places to live in the North East.
And it seems that secret is well and truly out after The Sunday Times named the North Tyneside town as the best place to live in the North of England on its annual Best Places to Live 2023, which last year featured neighbouring Tynemouth and Northumberland's county town Morpeth. Both of those have dropped out of this year's list, but our region still has three entries, after Ouseburn and Wooler were also selected.
Judges praised overall winner Whitley Bay for its beautiful coastline and the thoughtful regeneration that they say has helped the seaside town start to catch up with its neighbour Tynemouth after a few years in the doldrums, which has featured regularly in previous editions of the Best Places to Live guide.
