Bars opening and closing and buildings going up and down, Newcastle city centre is always a busy place.
And with shipping container villages and the rise and fall of the Mobike, this was a particularly busy year.
Here we look at what's changed in the city centre during 2018.
Mobikes
Originally launched in Newcastle in October last year, the distinctive orange bikes became a familiar sight around the city.
And in March Newcastle City Council agreed to let the cycle hire scheme double its fleet and expand even further throughout the area, with it also expanding to Gateshead ahead of the Great Exhibition of the North.
But it wasn't all good news - the sight of Mobikes dumped in odd places became increasingly common, with reports of them being set on fire, dumped in the river and impaled on fences among the many reports of vandalism.
And in September Mobike announced that it was dramatically reducing the size of its fleet in Newcastle and Gateshead after a review into "worrying levels of vandalism and theft".
Shipping containers
This was the summer Tyneside fell in love with shipping containers.
Technically not Newcastle city centre - but just a short trip over the Swing Bridge, Gateshead's By The River Brew Co became one of the most popular spots of the summer when it opened at the beginning of July.
Just weeks before the venue was due to open, Gateshead Council admitted it had been overambitious with the original plans for the multi-levelled shipping complex made up of 90 shipping containers.
Although on a smaller scale, the By The River Brew Co has been a hit with drinkers and even gained attention from The Michelin Guide - which took to social media in November to recommend a visit to the brewery and Träkol restaurant.
The famous restaurant and hotel guide tweeted: "With their on-site BTRBrewCo micro-brewery and dishes cooked over coal in Träkol there’s never been a better time to cross over to the Gateshead side of the Tyne.
Besides its bar attractions and Träkol restaurant, the redeveloped site also includes a Friday to Sunday HWKRMRKT - a street food Hawkers Market which will also have a presence at the upcoming Enchanted Parks - and a Backyard Bike Shop which offers custom-made bike services, brunch and coffee.
A little later to the party after a challenge to its licensing application, Stack became Newcastle's answer to the shipping container village when it opened in mid-August.
Besides the main bar areas downstairs, Stack includes shops on the ground floor and a Yolo coffee house which is run by its developer Danieli Holdings.
Constructed on the old Odeon site on Pilgrim Street, Stack became another popular place for al fresco drinks during the summer, and was home to Hadrian's Tipi in the run-up to Christmas.
Places we lost...
The year opened with the news that two Newcastle city centre restaurants were closing down less than two years after opening, with the loss of around 100 jobs.
Brazilian barbecue restaurant and cocktail bar Cabana and nearby American-style eatery Rub Smokehouse & Bar closed in February, having opened months apart in 2016.
French restaurant chain Café Rouge closed its remaining North East eatery on Grey Street in July, but said it was on the hunt for an alternative site.
Trendy bar and restaurant The Laundrette survived just 12 months at its Westgate Road site before shutting its doors in October.
On the shop front, one of the saddest losses was Grainger Games. It started life in a Grainger Market stall but grew to become a nationwide gaming favourite through a network of 67 stores.
In March, however, the firm fell into financial difficulties and 21 stores were emailed and told not to open.
The following week the remaining 46 stores were also closed, including the Newcastle store which announced the firm’s demise with a sign saying: “Sorry to say we are now closed. Thanks for 21 years of custom. Game OVER.”
...and gained
After the sad demise of Café Rouge, it was only two months before another restaurant arrived to take its place on Grey Street - Pizza Punks opened its first site in England after launches in Glasgow and Belfast.
And in a nod to its new home region, the restaurant made an addition to its topping range of Newcastle Brown Ale beef brisket.
Newcastle got its first Alpine-themed bar over the summer as the lower level of the Fat Buddha site at 55 Degrees North became Antler - a venue which styles itself as a ski lodge and was officially opened by British Winter Olympic hero Eddie the Eagle.
Meanwhile on the Quayside, new live music bar Charts opened in the building which used to house Flynn's.
And as the year came to a close, the much-loved Union Rooms building reopened with a new look following a multi-million-pound facelift by new owners, Newcastle-based Cyclone Leisure Group.
The former Wetherspoon pub now has a focus on cocktails and gastro-pub food.
Giant crane
There was a new and rather imposing addition to the Newcastle skyline in August as a 127m crane arrived in the city centre.
The 120m construction on Rutherford Street will be a major feature in the city’s skyline for the next year as work continues to erect what is set to be Newcastle’s tallest building - the 27-storey Hadrian’s Tower development.
New and improved squares
Two major projects to improve key public spaces in the city centre came closer to completion at the end of the year.
The 'pocket park' around Stephenson’s Monument at the bottom of Westgate Road, outside the Union Rooms pub, was opened after the area was paved.
And the new and improved Bigg Market - which includes a series of levelled terraces, street furniture and an improved lighting scheme - was also opened to the public.
The improvements were part of a £3.2m revival scheme for Bigg Market, which also includes plans to transform the famous toilets into a wine bar.
