I disagree with what was said about Gateshead.
While the city of Gateshead itself is definitely nothing special, the area is very nice. Newcastle is a nice city, and the countryside surrounding us is amazing. You have the North Pennines, Northumberland National Park (Kielder, the Cheviots), the Lake District, and the Northumberland coast all within easy reach for day trips.
(I must note however that many places are rather difficult to reach without a car. That said, renting a car is pretty cheap here.)