Newcastle is a great night out, shame it's so far away from everywhere!
I found Belfast to be an awesome city. It is completely safe to walk around alone at 3 in the morning. There are great indie rock bars to go to and the people are extremely friendly. I cannot wait to go back.
Belfast is a city with a lot of unrest and it is recommended that single women should not walk on the streets alone at night.
Not safe? Belfast's far friendlier than Dublin! In Belfast people actually smile at you. I've been all over the world and Belfast was one of the most welcoming cities I've ever been to.
It's not the nicest place I've visited. It has few nice things to see, but I didn't especially like the city. The only thing I found that was awesome was Belfast Castle in Cave Hill -- that place was charming!
I grew up in Newcastle and it is far away from everything else. However, I had the most magnificent childhood in Newcastle, as there was always so much to explore. You could ride your horses and bikes just about anywhere -- I loved it.
Belfast is an amazing city. I found it quite safe (same rules apply here as they do anywhere else in the world: don't walk around at 3am by yourself, etc etc) and the people of Belfast are among the friendliest I've ever met.
Belfast has more trouble than any other place. You can't even say you're from Northern Ireland because people feel sorry for you. It's a lovely place but why can't people get along?
I spent nine woderful months in Cushendall and I have very good memories of a very quiet but pleasant time over there.
It's rubbish to say that Belfast is unsafe for women - it is no more unsafe than the rest of the UK and as a student from Belfast living in London and Manchester I would say it is a lot safer. If you stick to the city centre, university area, Lisburn Road, and the Oddysey complex to go out in, it's fine. There are some great bars and clubs about and the people are friendly - it's not a huge city but you'll have a great time - especially if you travel out to the coast or into the country! As for the troubles, it is a small minority of people that have anything to do with the unrest and only certain areas of the city. Do not be put off by the emphasis and exaggerations of the media!
Belfast is probably the most interesting place to visit on the Island of Ireland. It's emerging from conflict, and the people are very open and friendly. While it is true that there are drunks who may seem intimidating, as long as you leave them alone they shouldn't bother you. Belfast is very affordable and offers a lot of history. I would much prefer to have stayed here longer than in Dublin!
A good tip is to check out the triangle bounded by Newtownards, Bangor, and Belfast. While driving is somwhat perilous on the narrow roads, if you hire a car and take the A2/A20/A21 and the roads via Craigantlet you get two different experiences of Northern Ireland - the urban metropolis and the country lanes where the only living being you're sharing the view with is a cow or two. People are very friendly and 75% of the city (basically anything that isn't west!) is unaffected by the troubles.
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